Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. assessed the ongoing infrastructure projects at the Naval Detahcment Oyster Bay in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on Thursday, Sept. 12.
In a statement Friday, Sept. 13, the AFP said that the visit aimed to determine the progress of the projects which are deemed critical to enhance the country’s external defense posture.
“The visit reinforces the Department of National Defense and AFP’s commitment to enhancing the Philippines’ military infrastructure and ensuring the nation’s sovereignty is protected amidst evolving security challenges,” Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP public affairs office, said.
The upgrading of the Naval Base Oyster Bay, along with several infrastructure projects in Balabac Island under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), are part of the priorities of the national government which President Marcos Jr. wants to be fast-tracked in order to bolster the country’s external defense capabilities.
“They hold strategic importance and are crucial in external defense to protect Philippine sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. Balabac is also pegged as a future forward operating base for the Philippine Air Force, which will significantly extend the nation’s air defense capabilities,” Trinidad stressed.
The visit came on the same day that China warned that the development of EDCA sites by the Philippines and US would drag Manila into the Taiwan conflict.
Last year, Marcos approved the establishment of four new sites under the EDCA, a defense pact which allows the rotation of American troops in the Philippines as well as the US’ establishment and operation of facilities on AFP bases.
Three of the new EDCA sites are located in the northern part of the country near Taiwan – Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan – while the last one is in Balabac Island in Palawan facing the West Philippine Sea.
“Of the four new EDCA sites opened by the Philippines to the United States, three are located in the northern part of Luzon, just ‘across the sea’ from Taiwan, and one of which is only 400 kilometers away from Taiwan,” the Chinese Embassy said.
“It is obvious that the US is attempting to use EDCA sites to interfere in the Taiwan question at the expense of the peaceful development of the Philippines and the region,” it added.
However, the DND has repeatedly denied in the past that the EDCA sites will be used as American military bases as it is no longer allowed under the country’s laws.
Instead, they will have multi-purpose functions particularly in the prepositioning of troops and equipment during military exercises and as rendezvous point for humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations in times of calamities.