Opposition solon insists: PH has no say on how US will operate Edca sites

FILE PHOTO: ACT Party-list Rep. France Castro during the weekly press briefing at the House of Representatives on Thursday, November 21, 2019. INQUIRER.net / Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines — An opposition lawmaker has rebuffed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s assurance that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites would not be used for offensive purposes, claiming that the Philippines has no control how the United States (US) would operate them.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Rep. France Castro in a statement on Tuesday cited observations made by former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares regarding the country’s Edca with the US — that Article 4 of the deal states that the US has full control and exclusive use any equipment, supply, or materiel stored  at the EDCA sites.

Castro specifically mentioned Paragraph 3 of Article 4 which states that the US forces “shall have control over the access to and disposition of such prepositioned materiel”.

“Kaya hindi ko malaman kung saan nanggaling ang sinasabi ng Malacanang, samantalang malinaw sa teksto ng Edca na ang US ang may control sa mga Edca sites kung anuman ang mga ipapasok doon o mga aktibidad man,” Castro said.

(That’s why I can’t understand where Malacañang is coming from, while it is clear in the text of Edca that the US has control over Edca sites, regardless of what material they put or activities they do.)

“Ang papel lang ng mga sundalong Filipino doon ay tagapagbantay sa labas, in short mga security guards na bawal ding pumasok o silipin man lang ang nangyayari sa loob,” she added.

(The role of Filipino soldiers there is to guard the outside gates, in short they are security guards who are not allowed to go inside, or even peek at what is happening inside.)

The lawmaker was reacting to Marcos’ assurance on Monday that China does not need to worry about the establishment of the four new Edca sites in the country.

Last April 3, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the following locations had been inspected and assessed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines:

• Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, Cagayan
• Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan
• Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela
• Balabac Island in Palawan

READ: Palace names four more Edca sites 

According to Marcos, the expansion of the US sites is only meant to only to assist the Philippines, especially in disaster relief operations.  He also said that the Philippine government would not allow the new Edca sites to be used for offensive purposes.

READ: Marcos: China need not worry about Edca if there’s no attack vs PH 

Marcos’ reaction came as China warned that the new Edca sites would not be good for the Philippines, as it would supposedly drag the country into tensions over Taiwan.

Taiwan, which claims sovereignty from mainland China, is the closest neighbor of the Philippines in the north, with the northernmost province — Batanes — being less than 300 kilometers away from Kaohsiung City.

READ: China: New Edca sites to ‘seriously harm’ PH 

READ: China stages drills off Taiwan, warns PH anew on Edca 

Castro said that what the new Edca sites do is effectively make the Philippines a huge base — without directly implying it in the agreement.

“Sa pamamagitan talaga ng Edca ay ginawang napakalaking base ng US ang Pilipinas, di man ito diretsong sinabi sa teksto ng kasunduan ay ito ang esensya at aktwal na nangyayari sa ngayon,” she said.

(With the Edca sites, the Philippines being turned into a big base for the Philippines, even if the agreement does not explicitly state this, but it is happening.)

“Marapat na ibasura na ang tagibang na kasunduang ito na kasama ang Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) ay halos ibalik tayo sa pagiging kolonya ng US,” she added.

(It is only right that this agreement is scrapped, along with the VFA which almost brought us back to being a US colony.)

JPV