CPP: EDCA Sites Will Invite, Not Deter War

Marco Valbuena | Chief Information Officer | Communist Party Of The Philippines

March 5, 2023

Defense Sec. Carlito Galvez takes the Filipino people for fools when he claimed last week that allowing the US government to build more military facilities in additional sites specified under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will serve as a “deterrence” for war. This is the exact opposite of the truth.

Since last year, the US government and armed forces have been rushing to establish four or five more military sites in the Philippines. They are particularly interested in constructing military facilities in the northern provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, as well as in Palawan. These form part of its increasingly aggressive and provocative acts, aimed primarily against its imperialist rival China.

It also plans to use the naval facilities in its former military base in Subic now operated by the Agila Subic Shipyard, owned by Cerberus Capital Management, an American investment company. The US aims to use these sites for stationing troops, pre-positioning of its military equipment, refueling and rearming.

Galvez falsely assures the Filipino people that the US will not use its military sites in the Philippines for acts of aggression, especially against China. In fact, the US Navy, itself, has declared that having access to these sites will strengthen their plans of “countering” China, over the issue of Taiwan.

Heightened US presence in the Philippines combines with increased US military presence and activity in Japan, South Korea, naval exercises and maneuvers in the South China Sea, Sea of Japan, Taiwan Strait and East Philippine Sea.

The US knows very well that pre-positioning its military troops and equipment in the Philippines, including long-range missiles, can easily be construed by China as aggressive and provocative acts. The US continues to raise the possibility of military conflicts with China erupting and escalating into a full-scale war.

Heightened US military presence in the Philippines is a direct insult on the freedom-loving Filipino people. The plan to allow around 8,000 American troops to land on Philippine soil to stage the Balikatan and around 500 other war exercises this year, is a direct affront on Philippine sovereignty. These troops, who enjoy extraterritorial rights under the Visiting Forces Agreement, arrogantly trample on the country’s national freedom.

Against the Filipino people’s aspiration for peace, the Philippines is being used and drawn by the US in its war provocations against China.

The Filipino people must firmly and militantly resist the expansion of US military presence in the county. While calling for the repeal of the Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, the VFA, EDCA and other unequal military treaties, they must push the demand for the pull-out of all foreign troops and dismantling of all military facilities, including those of China in the West Philippine Sea, and the various EDCA sites of the US around the country.

Source : https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/edca-sites-will-invite-not-deter-war/