MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / May 16, 2014) – Filipino leader Benigno Aquino said he is confident the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States will withstand legal scrutiny in the Supreme Court following strong objections from various groups and lawmakers.
Aquino said the government panel had made sure that the provisions of the EDCA are in accordance with the Constitution. “Consistently, when they were reporting to me, we kept on working on fine-tuning it to make sure that it adheres completely with the Constitution,” he said.
“So will it stand scrutiny? Yes. Will there be people who will try to derail it? Yes, also. But we are reasonably confident that anybody looking at it objectively will be able to say that we have met all the stipulations in the Constitution,” he added.
The EDCA was signed by Philippine and US government officials hours before US President Barack Obama arrived in the Philippines on May 28 for a two-day state visit.
The accord allows US troops greater access to designated Philippine military facilities, as well as construct facilities and preposition aircrafts, vessels and equipment.
Philippine Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said the EDCA is an implementing agreement of treaties already established between the US and the Philippines, such as the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The youth group Anakbayan has strongly criticized Aquino for granting the US unlimited basing rights in the guise of EDCA.
Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan national chairperson, said those who signed the deal should be charged with treason. This, after the Senate hearing revealed various problems with the deal. He said the accord should be scrapped immediately.
“We are witnessing a de facto re-occupation of the Philippines by the US,” he said.
Senator Ferdinand Marcos also expressed concerns that the strategic locations where US forces would be allowed access under the EDCA could mean anywhere.
Currently, the AFP is also finalizing a Memorandum of Agreement with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to create a military installation within the area, reliving fears that the Americans could well be on their way back to their former naval base.
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