Senator Francis ‘Tol’ N. Tolentino on Friday, February 3 threw his all-out support on the expanded defense and security cooperations between the Philippines and the United States.
“I am in favor of defense/security cooperation ‘upgrades’ with reliable allies like the United States, considering the evolving regional conditions and challenges, so long as this is anchored on solid constitutional foundations and for the greater interests of the nation and EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) is evidently a good model,” Tolentino said.
He is vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security. He is also a senior vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Tolentino issued his remarks following the joint announcement made by Manila and Washington on Thursday over plans to accelerate the full implementation of EDCA, with the agreement to designate four new Agreed Locations in strategic areas of the Philippines and the substantial completion of the projects in the existing five Agreed Locations.
According to Tolentino, “friendship and sovereignty” must be the key pillars in laying down the parameters for this new partnership between the two Pacific-ally nations.
Amid the latest tensions in the disputed territories along the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, Tolentino last January proposed the conduct of a multilateral show of maritime security cooperation with the United States and other neighboring countries which belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Tolentino stressed that expanding the conduct of joint patrols—to include other claimant states among ASEAN nations—will help ensure the freedom of navigation, exercise of fishing rights, and somehow pacify existing tensions due to territorial disputes hounding the South China Sea region.
Senator Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero said the expansion of EDCA is well within the bounds of such agreement and will help promote regional stability together with a long-time ally of the Philippines — the United States.