No US troops in PH as SC reviews defense pact

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia. INQUIRER.net/Matikas Santos

MANILA, Philippines—No troops from the United States will be coming to the Philippines yet as the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is being questioned before the Supreme Court.

“Until we put it into force then we can not really see any [troop] movement. The lawyers will have to look at what can be done in the meantime,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia said in an interview with reporters Friday.

“We cannot proceed with the implementation of the agreement because it is being questioned and we don’t want to give the impression that we are not respecting the fact that there is a case filed. We’d like to be able to build up our military capacity and minimum credible defense posture as early as possible right? For our own self defense interests,” he said.

The EDCA was signed by the Philippines and US last April ahead of US President Barack Obama’s two-day visit in Manila. The agreement seeks to increase the amount of US troops that can come into the country on a rotational basis.

There have been at least three petitions asking the high tribunal to declare the EDCA as unconstitutional for violating the Philippine constitution’s provisions on national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

When asked whether the Supreme Court petitions will slow down the implementation of the EDCA, Cuisia said: “It has some impact but hopefully for not too long.”

“We hope to benefit from this agreement particularly the modernization of the AFP. We asked the US to help us but they can not move much until we resolve those issues. We hope that it will not take too long,” he said.

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