The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday asserted that the military installations under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) are indeed being utilized during 'actual calamity' operations.
“We do not actually address critics at this time, we actually report what is happening on the ground so we can assure the Filipino public na ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas is closely working with all other government agencies and non-government agencies,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla appealed to the EDCA sites' critics.
“Ang role po natin is tumulong wala po tayong ibang intensyon,” she added.
This was after Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark questioning whether the facilities are truly useful or simply being mentioned "for the sake of name-dropping 'EDCA' in times of disaster.
In a report by Edniel Parrosa, EDCA sites refer to nine military facilities across the country that are part of the defense cooperation deal between the AFP and the United States.
There are nine EDCA sites across the country:
- Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga
- Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija
- Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro
- Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan
- Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu
- Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan
- Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan
- Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela
- Balabac Island in Palawan
The agreement allows U.S. forces access to selected Philippine bases for joint training, prepositioning of equipment, and humanitarian assistance during emergencies.
Earlier, the Office of Civil Defense said the EDCA sites could serve as multi-purpose venues, especially in areas close to regions heavily impacted by typhoons and other natural disasters.
On Thursday, July 24, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command deployed a KC-135 aircraft to Clark Airbase, carrying disaster response equipment to support ongoing relief efforts.
