Senators vouch PH-US EDCA will bring regional stability, cooperation

Senators on Friday, February 3 welcomed the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States (US) saying they see it as a means to help promote regional stability and cooperation.

“We should always be bold in our decisions based solely on our national interest and the welfare of our people,” Sen. 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,” Escudero added.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also noted that the US has always been the Philippine’s ally on matters concerning territorial disputes and the expansion of the EDCA will boost the country’s military defense capabilities in asserting regional territorial claims.

“While it is seen as directed at enhancing the PH-US security alliance, which is one of the longest military alliances in the world, I trust that whatever possible repercussions had been carefully studied by officials from the Executive,” Estrada also said.

“From what I gathered, the EDCA sites are primarily earmarked for humanitarian assistance and disaster response facilities, and it's part of the modernization efforts of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Therefore, it’s not directed toward any country,” he said.

“These efforts of our government, I believe, are aligned with the President’s pronouncements in his first SONA where he said that he intends to chart an independent foreign policy with the national interest as a primordial guide – a country that is a friend to all and an enemy to none,” he also said.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go also said he believes the US-PH EDCA is not only limited to military and security issues. With more sites for cooperation in the Philippines, Go said he expects it to enhance the AFP’s capacity to defend the country.

“At the same time, this is a big help to us when it comes to humanitarian and disaster response activities between the two countries. That means we can learn a lot from them and they will help us every time there is a typhoon or disaster that comes,” Go said in Filipino, during an interview.

He also said the move is necessary and very timely with the country's experience with climate change.

“Especially now with climate change, our geographical location in the Pacific Ring of Fire makes us prone to disasters. You notice that every now and then a typhoon comes, an earthquake hits us, so this EDCA is a big help to our country, to our military,” he said.

Go also said he hopes the agreement will not affect in relation to the country’s issues on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“I hope that this will not militarize the region and that any misunderstanding can be resolved through proper discussion and diplomatic means,” he said.

“This is my stand: we can be friend to all and enemy to none. That is also the stand of our former president (Rodrigo) Duterte,” said the senator who hails from Davao City.

As a sovereign nation, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said he believes the Philippine government is “free to enter treaties and agreements which we believe are or will be good for us.”

“Although I disagree with EDCA (the use of PH territory for basing of US personnel and/or supplies) I will uphold our power to enter into agreements as a sovereign nation,” Pimentel said.

“Should China react by using its sovereign power to ‘affect’ trade with us then we are also not in a position to complain (assuming no existing contracts are affected),” the minority leader added.