The word war between Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba and Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., officer in charge of the Department of National Defense (DND), is heating up as the two officials clashed over the establishment of four additional sites for the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba (File photo / MANILA BULLETIN)

Mamba, who had expressed strong opposition to the establishment of EDCA sites in Cagayan, said Galvez was lying when the acting defense chief told the public that the governor was already okay with the prepositioning of military forces from the Unites States in the province.

“Sinabi nila na binitawan ko na ang pag-o-oppose dito, na kinausap lang nila ako. Ay kasinungalingan po ni Secretary Galvez ‘yon (They said that I already let go of my opposition to this issue, that they already talked to me. That’s all lies by Secretary Galvez),” Mamba said in an interview with Sonshine Media Network, Inc. (SMNI) on Tuesday night, April 11.

Mamba was referring to the public statement of Galvez on March 20 in Floridablanca, Pampanga where he said: “We have already talked to Governor Mamba when he visited my office in PICC [Philippine International Convention Center] and he said that for as long as the national government has decided, he will abide with the decision of the President. And I told him that we have already decided so he will conform with the decision.”

He also scored Galvez for claiming that there was a resolution among majority of the mayors supporting the establishment of EDCA.

“Kasinungalingan na naman po iyon. Dito po ako natatakot. Kung nagawa niya ‘yon sa akin eh hindi malayo na panay kasinungalingan ang sinasabi niya at advice niya sa ating Presidente (That’s another lie. This is where I am afraid of. If he could do that to me, it’s not impossible that he is also feeding lies as advice to the President),” the feisty governor said.

But Galvez was quick to refute Mamba’s allegations as he urged the governor not to doubt the Chief Executive’s decision making when it comes to foreign policy.

“Let us not underestimate the capacity of the President to evaluate and determine the country’s foreign policy, and pursue efforts that uphold and protect our national interests,” he said on Wednesday, April 12.

Galvez said that the DND, together with the rest of the security sector, provides inputs to the Commander in Chief “based on strategic assessments.”

“We highly doubt that advisors to the President can lie to him and get away with feeding him false information, as alleged, especially when national security is at stake,” Galvez pointed out.

Why the opposition?

Marcos previously identified the four additional EDCA sites in the country.

DND OIC Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. (File photo / MANILA BULLETIN)

Two of these locations were in Cagayan: the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana town and Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town. The other two sites are at Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela and Balabac Island in Palawan.

Once established, the EDCA sites can be used to pre-position military forces and equipment from the US.

The planned EDCA sites in Cagayan in the northern Philippines are near Taiwan, which is the center of heated tension between the US and China. China claims that the self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory but the United States committed to protect Taiwan in case of an invasion.

Galvez said he appreciates the support of Isabela Governor Rodolfo Albano III in the establishment of an EDCA site in his province. He previously said that the EDCA sites are meant to enhance the disaster response of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in areas regularly hit by calamities or disasters.

But for Mamba, he does not believe Galvez when he said that the establishment of EDCA sites in Cagayan is meant to enhance the humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) of the military in the area.

“Ang paglalagay po ng pwersang military at paglalagay ng equipment ng military ng ibang bansa lalo na ng Estados Unidos dito sa aming probinsya, ang basa ko po dito ay provocation at peligro (The prepositioning of the military forces and equipment from other countries, especially the United States, in our province appears like a provocation and smells danger for me),” Mamba said.

“Hindi naman tayo mga tanga na ito ay for humanitarian at disasters. Eh sa aking panunungkulan na anim na taon, napakaraming mga sakuna at super typhoon, wala po akong nakitang Amerikano o tulong mula sa mga Amerika (We are not fools to believe that these will be for humanitarian and disaster [response]. In my six-year service, there were a lot of calamities and super typhoons but not once did I see Americans or receive American aid),” Mamba added.

Mamba believes that the EDCA sites in Cagayan will be used to put American forces and assets like ships and planes so the US can monitor China’s activities in Taiwan, and provoke the Asian superpower.

He fears that an attack on a US ship or military might trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which states that the Philippines and United States should help each other in case either of them is attacked by a third-party country.

“Importante pa rin na marinig mismo ng ating Presidente ang aming hinaing sa probinsya ng Cagayan. Ayaw po naming magamit sa digmaan ng Amerika. Ayaw po namin magpagamit sa sinumang hindi Pilipino (It is still important that our President must directly hear our sentiments here in the province of Cagayan. We don’t want to be used in the war of America. We don’t want to be used by anybody who are not Filipinos),” Mamba said.

“Mr. President, we can die for you, we can also kill for you. We can die for our country. But I don’t want any Filipino or Cagayanon for that matter to die for the Americans and for their cause,” the governor added.