Philippines Says US Base Deal Meant for Defense, Not Preparation for War

A U.S. Navy hover craft prepares to hit the beach during the amphibious landing exercises as part of the annual joint U.S.-Philippines military exercise on the shores of San Antonio town, facing the South China Sea, Zambales Province, on April 11, 2019. (Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

The Philippines’ decision to grant the United States more access to its military bases is meant to boost defense capabilities, not to engage in war preparations, a top Philippine defense official said on Thursday.

Department of National Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez said the purpose of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) projects is to bolster Philippine military readiness against external threats.

“The geopolitical situation is becoming more precarious by the day. Our projects under EDCA and our other defense partnerships are not intended for aggression,” Galvez said, according to state-run media.

“We are not preparing for war; rather, we are aiming to develop our defense capabilities against eventualities and threats to our security,” he added.

Last month, the Philippines and the United States struck a deal to grant American forces access to four new military bases in the Philippines on top of the five bases already granted under the EDCA.

The Philippine government has not yet publicly specified the new locations, but Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba believed that his province is one of the chosen locations, given its proximity to Taiwan.

Cagayan Province sits on the northern tip of Luzon island, which borders Taiwan. Mamba said that if U.S. troops were stationed in Cagayan, a Chinese attack on Taiwan may affect the province, Benar News reported.

U.S. (L) and Philippine navy personnel launch an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a speed boat west of Manila as part of joint exercises on June 28, 2013. The annual exercises were held off the west coast of the Philippines' main island of Luzon, close to Scarborough Shoal, which China insists it owns. Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

“We do not want to be an enemy to any country, nor do we want to be used to threaten any country. We will defend the Philippines from any enemy, even with sticks and stones, but we will not be fodder to a fight that is not our own,” he told the Senate.

“Solutions to regional tensions will only end badly for us not involved in this show of might between two superpowers. The only military forces we want in Cagayan are members of the armed forces of the Philippines,” Mamba said.

Galvez said the government understands the concerns raised by some officials but the decision was made on account of the “volatile” environment, which highlighted the need for the country to bolster its defense.

“We must consider the volatile situation in which we operate and not view our country in isolation,” he said. “The Philippines straddles a crucial location in the Pacific, and we have seaboards to the north, south, east, and west. All of these must be monitored and protected.”

Galvez said the United States had allotted around $82.68 million for EDCA projects to date.

China Threats

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to conquer it by force if necessary. But any attack on Taiwan could threaten Philippine security because of its proximity to Taiwan, with which it shares a sea border off the Luzon Strait.

The Philippines and the United States are allies under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which dictates that the two nations will defend each other if either is attacked.

Philippine envoy Jose Manuel Romualdez said last year that U.S. forces will be allowed access to Philippine military bases during a Taiwan conflict if it is deemed “important” to national security.

Romualdez said they aim to secure new military bases already earmarked for U.S. troops over the next three years, but did not specify the new locations. He said the Philippines rejects “any kind of war or confrontation.”

“We want to ask both countries to lessen the tension by having more dialogue and then trying to resolve all of these issues because it’s in our part of the world,” he told Nikkei Asia.

The Philippines also seeks to counter Beijing’s military assertiveness in the South China Sea and has begun talks with the United States and Australia over possible joint maritime patrols in the disputed seas.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea as its own territory under its so-called “nine-dash line.” While the Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of legal action taken by the Philippines in 2016, the Chinese regime hasn’t changed its behavior, with Chinese vessels repeatedly intruding into the Philippines’ maritime zones.