Govt reveals locations of four new bases for US military pact

The government has identified four more of its military bases that the United States will get access to, almost doubling the number included in a defence agreement that seeks to advance a decades-old alliance between them.

The expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) underlines the Philippines’ strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States.

The EDCA, signed in 2014 under then US president Barack Obama, allows US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.

The sites named on Monday are the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport, both in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province and the island of Balabac off Palawan.

The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Defence chief Carlito Galvez called the sites “very strategic” and stressed that the Philippines had a responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea.

“That’s a trade route ... where more or less US$3 trillion (RM13.2 trillion) trade passes (annually),” he said. “Our responsibility to collectively secure that is huge.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s office on Monday said the four locations should “boost the disaster response” and help humanitarian and relief operations, adding defending the east cost was also taken into consideration.

“Their locations are in areas where they are needed,” said Jay Batongbacal, a South China Sea expert at the University of the Philippines.

“It also provides us with coverage not only on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) but also on the Pacific side,” he added.

The United States has committed over US$80mil (RM353mil) worth of infrastructure at the five existing sites. — Reuters