President Rodrigo R. Duterte welcomes United States of America Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Mr. Matthew Cenzer, deputy political counselor at the Music Room in Malacañan Palace on July 19.(MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Thursday said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) should not be seen in the light of the South China Sea issue.
Goldberg said though five locations for U.S. military facilities in the Philippines have been identified in the EDCA, the security deal agreed between two allies remain to be for the strengthening of their relations.
He said, the EDCA should be seen in terms of the mutual security relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines, wherein the Armed Forces of the Philippines can be modernized and will be able to conduct joint operations with their American counterparts as treaty allies.
It would also pre-position U.S. military assets for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said.
“People should understand that that’s the basis for our relationship, and that this is not aimed at China or any other claimants on the South China Sea issue. That should be resolved in a diplomatic and legal fashion,” he said.
The Supreme Court upheld the legality of EDCA in January and dismissed appeals to reverse the ruling on Tuesday this week, a few hours before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Manila.
Washington and Manila have agreed on five locations for U.S. military facilities in the Philippines, and among them is the Antonio Bautista airbase in Palawan, the closest Philippine air base to the disputed Spratly Islands.
Like all other “co-locations,” Goldberg said it will allow the U.S. to pre-position supplies for humanitarian assistance and bring in rotational forces and equipment.
Since the location in Palawan is an airbase, he added, there would undoubtedly be an aircraft “at some point.”
“It will be persistent, but kind of intermittent. They won’t be permanent,” he said.
An American congressional delegation visited the area last week with Goldberg, and he said they were here to look at some of the sites because they’re responsible for appropriating the military construction portion of the roughly $66-million appropriated by the U.S. for foreign military financing in this fiscal year.
“They were impressed with the agreement and the way we have identified to go forward,” he said.
Apart from military financing, Goldberg said they also give support on law enforcement by holding prosecutorial training and training for counter-narcotics, as well as counter-terrorism. (MNS)