MANILA, Philippines – The United States and Philippine panels concluded the eighth round of negotiations in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) Friday, and have agreed on key points such as access and use of military facilities and non-permanence of US troops.

In a joint statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of National Defense (DND), they said that the draft agreement gives US military’s access and use of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) facilities only “at the invitation of the Philippines and with full respect for the Philippine Constitution and Philippine laws.”

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“They have to get our consent for whatever they can bring in,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia said in an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the joint meeting of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).

“They will have to get approval for whatever they are going to bring in,” he said.

The agreement also provides that the US military will “not establish a permanent military presence or base in the territory of the Philippines,” the DFA-DND statement said.

All forms of nuclear weapons will be prohibited in the country in accordance with the Philippine Constitution, it said.

Defense Undersecretary and Chair of the Philippine Negotiating Panel Pio Lorenzo Batino said that “this round brought us much closer to finding full consensus, and the draft provisions on key points of enhanced defense cooperation will be submitted to the President for his review.”

Improving PH capabilities

Cuisia said that the agreement will make it easier for the US to help the Philippines with the modernization program of the AFP.

“It is up to the AFP to determine what they need,” Cuisia said. “Remember the two cutters that we got, because the Philippine Navy said they needed cutters, so we made representations to the US and we got them very quickly.”

Cuisia was referring to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz that the Philippines acquired recently from the US.

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“We would have gotten a third one if we had asked for it, but we did not ask for it at that time,” Cuisia said.

The AFP had also looked at the possibility of acquiring F-16 fighter aircraft but changed their mind due to the high cost of maintenance, he said.

Mutually Beneficial

Cuisia said that the agreement will allow US to put up facilities within military owned or controlled facilities.

“This agreement is different in that it will allow the US to put up facilities that will be beneficial to both the US and the Philippines,” Cuisia said.

“Right now under the VFA, if there is no such provision, this agreement will precisely enable us to enlarge the capability of the US to assist us,” he said.

One example Cuisia gave was if the US were to bring in rubber boats that are to be used in case of disaster, they need to store it in warehouses which they can put up.

“Not in civilian facilities. It has to be in AFP-owned or controlled facilities. In Subic, there will be a portion that will be allocated there to the AFP,” Cuisia said.

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