The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) must be reviewed to ensure transparency in United States’ use of Philippine military bases, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Monday.
Pimentel issued the remark ahead of the meeting between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden during the Philippine chief executive’s official visit in the United States this week.
“The EDCA should be reviewed. There should be more transparency. There should be more authority on the part of the Philippine commanders or Philippine authorities to check what is stored in our Philippine bases and the use of the area we are allowing the United States military to use,” the senator said over CNN Philippines.
Pimentel, former chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations, said the sites being used by the US military should not be treated as “restricted areas” which the Filipino military officers cannot inspect.
“Since the EDCA is pursuant to the Mutual Defense Treaty—I would like to emphasize the word ‘defense’— so logic tells us that Philippine territory, since we allowed it to be a storage area for American armaments and military supplies, Philippine territory should only be allowed to be used for defense purposes…to aid us Filipinos in the defense of our territory,” he pointed out.
He noted that the current provisions of the EDCA can be cited to decline the ocular inspection of the Filipino commander or Filipino authority.
“So i-improve natin in that way and then, of course, we can also improve it by emphasizing that aside from defense, the disaster preparedness,” he said.
The senator said among the equipment that are expected to be brought by the US military are items that would help in relief operations after a natural calamity strikes the Philippines.
Earlier, Marcos said he will tackle the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement with Biden during his US trip this week.
Senator Imee Marcos, the president’s older sister, said the US official visit is a good chance to discuss the renewal of EDCA under better terms and conditions.
Meanwhile, Pimentel said the heads of states must also tackle a better “economic cooperation” between the Philippines and the US.
“Right now, when there is an announcement about United States assistance or a program or a project in the Philippines or concerning the Philippines, it is in all likelihood concerned about military, security matters. So, I think it’s about time that we shift our focus to economic cooperation between the Philippines and the United States,” he said.
The lawmaker pointed out that the US is still considered as the biggest economy in the world and the Philippines can supply products and materials that it needs.
“Let’s convince the United States to not only offer to buy more Philippine products but to actually buy more Philipppine-made products…I hope they make a concession to also prioritize Philippine grown or Philippine-made products to satisfy the US market needs,” he added.
On the near-collision in the South China Sea between a Chinese coast guard ship and Philippine patrol vessel, Pimentel said the claimants to the disputed territories must fast-track the conclusion of the crafting of the Code of Conduct.
Tagging the incident as “very unfortunate,” the senator said this should be an “eye-opener” to everyone so that actual encounters will be prevented.
“I think this Code of Conduct which has been mentioned for decades already must be seriously and in good faith pursued by all the claimants…All of the countries using the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea,” Pimentel said.
“Otherwise, we fear a worst event where there is not only a near collision but an actual collision… So I urge the parties to—in good faith— and in haste, already negotiate this Code of Conduct,” he added.
Pimentel said the claimants must start the dialogues in order to make small steps in completing the South China Sea Code of Conduct.
“Let’s be happy with small victories basta magkaroon po tayo ng agreement and the purpose of the agreement is actually to avoid the repeat of incidents like this which can lead to so-called misencounters which would really gravely escalate the actions of the parties involved,” he said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
