Senator Imee Marcos expressed alarm over China’s supposed plan to use hypersonic missiles against military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) of the Philippines and the United States.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair claimed that these hypersonic missiles will target all 25 EDCA sites in the country.
“Dahil sa tingin ng Tsina, talagang kumampi na tayo sa kalaban nila… May nakita ako na plano ng Tsina na gagamitin yung hypersonic missile. Ang plano air, ang plano ay yung hypersonic missile at nakatakda na yung 25 na target nila,” Marcos said in a video posted on her Facebook page.
(Because China thinks that we have really sided with their enemy… I saw a plan by China to use the hypersonic missile. The plan is the hypersonic missile and their 25 targets have been set.)
GMA News Online has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila about the matter but it has yet to provide a statement as of posting time.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, said it will coordinate with Senator Marcos to get more details about the information.
“The AFP takes such concerns seriously. We are ready to coordinate with Senator Marcos to obtain details and take appropriate actions to ensure our nation’s security,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on Wednesday.
Signed in 2014, EDCA grants US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities, allowing them to build facilities and preposition equipment, aircraft, and vessels.
Hypersonic missiles are five times faster than the speed of sound, which makes it difficult for air defense systems to counter.
“Ang sabi ng US hindi daw nila kaya labanan yung hypersonic missile, mas lalo akong ninerbiyos,” said Marcos.
(The US says they can’t fight the hypersonic missile, it makes me even more nervous.)
She added that Batanes, Subic, and Ilocos are the initial targets.
“Sa pagbabasa natin, may mga (Brahmos) missiles na sa Batanes pati sa Subic. So ‘yung dalawang yun ang uunahin kasama ang Ilocos kasi may mga live-fire Balikatan. Kakatakot nga,” the Senator added.
(From what we read, there are Brahmos missiles in Batanes and Subic. So those two will be prioritized along with Ilocos because there are live-fire military exercises. It’s really scary.)
The President’s sister, however, did not disclose where she got the information.
Tensions have also been growing in the West Philippine Sea amid Beijing’s aggression as the dispute continues for the disputed territory.
But on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that Philippines and China sought to deescalate and manage the situation and that a bilateral meeting was held to discuss recent incidents.
The DFA said that both sides discussed the June 17 incident where Chinese Coast Guard vessels rammed Philippine vessels, seized firearms and rubber boats which resulted in several Filipino Navy being injured, including one who lost his thumb. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
