The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) raised the possibility of establishing additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the future to enable a “360-degree protection” of the country.

(File photo via Manila Bulletin)

Building more EDCA sites will help the troops secure the Philippine’s maritime territory which will also allow the people to enjoy its resources, according to Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson.

“If we are talking about the further expansion of the EDCA, this is possible. We are an archipelagic country and we have so many islands, we have a long shoreline. If we are to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity including the protection of maritime resources that should be enjoyed by our people, we need a 360 degree protection capability for the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Aguilar said in a radio interview with dzBB on Sunday, April 23.

The government earlier announced the establishment of four additional EDCA sites as part of the acceleration of the implementation of the defense treaty between the Philippines and United States. 

These are located at the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.

Prior to this, there are already five existing EDCA sites in the country.

However, if the AFP will decide to add more EDCA sites on top of the nine finished and proposed locations, Aguilar admitted that they will need a big budget to make it happen.

In fact, the United States increased the funding for the development of the four additional EDCA sites from $82 million to $100 million (P5.5 billion), according to Department of National Defense Officer in Charge (DND-OIC) Carlito Galvez Jr.

Galvez said this brought the total amount of US pledges in support for the EDCA projects and the AFP’s acquisition of helicopters for humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) to P11 billion.

“We would need a big budget because we will have to strengthen the capabilities of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force since they are the first screening forces outside [our country]. They see the enemies even from afar. We also need to strengthen the Philippine Army to deter enemies that will penetrate our land,” he said.

Containing China

While the AFP and DND already explained that the EDCA expansion is not directed against any country and only meant to increase the capability of the Philippines’ armed forces, China is opposing such move because they believe it is a tactic of the United States to militarily contain them, according to a national security analyst.

“Chinese officials and scholars are anxious about the decision of the Philippine government to expand EDCA because in their perspective, the objective of the United States is to militarily contain China,” said Dr. Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for Intelligence and Security Studies.

Banlaoi said China is not convinced that the EDCA expansion is not related to the issue involving Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the overall United States-China rivalry.

A proof of such is the recent visit to Manila of Chinese Prime Minister Qin Gang to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he said.

“If we are to get candid in assessing the reaction of Chinese officials, they were irritated because of what happened. The Philippines and China agreed in January to deepen their relationship but why is the EDCA expansion happening?” Banlaoi said.

“This is why Prime Minister Qin Gang went to the Philippines to calm the relationship and assure the country that despite of the current turbulence in the Philippines-China relations, China is still open to talk to the Philippines – to use their own term – to iron out differences in the current situation,” he added.

For Banlaoi, China and the United States should also discuss their differences to finally end the tension between them, and avoid the Philippines from getting caught in the crossfire in case their current conflict escalates to a full-blown war.

“Peaceful and friendly relationship between the United States and China will be extremely beneficial for the Philippines. I don’t know if the President already told this to the Prime Minister but it is also important for the United States and China to talk seriously and patch up their differences,” Banlaoi said.

“Unless they (US and China) don’t resolve their differences, the Philippines will always be in danger,” he noted.