The Department of National Defense (DND) has restated that the addition of four new military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States will not violate Philippine sovereignty.
The EDCA deal was expanded in February, with the addition of four new sites to the existing five.
"There is no gross violation of our national sovereignty as claimed by certain quarters. The EDCA, which is an offshoot of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), was deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court," DND said.
Party-list groups Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and Bayan Muna have earlier raised concerns about some provisions in the agreement, which they believe would allow the United States unlimited access to troops, bases, and activities in the country.
Under Article 3, paragraph 2 of EDCA, the Philippines cannot decline if the US requests access to use any public land and facilities in the country, including private property.
ACT Rep. France Castro has warned that the nine EDCA locations are bound to increase, turning the whole country into a US base.
Meanwhile, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares has questioned Article 12, Paragraph 4 of the agreement, which states that EDCA shall “continue in force unless terminated."
Colmenares argued that the lack of a term limit means there is no mandatory requirement for its review within a certain period before it expires, nor does it require renegotiation upon expiry.
The DND, however, assured that the EDCA sites will be mutually operated by the two countries and will not turn into permanent basing facilities for the US.
The department stressed that the EDCA sites primarily consist of storage facilities, which require minimum use of utilities since they will only be utilized during exercises and emergencies, and improvements on existing facilities owned and operated by the AFP.
Furthermore, EDCA will create job opportunities and boost the local economies of the communities where the sites are located.
