US troops disembark from their amphibious assault vehicle during a combined assault exercise at a beach facing one of the contested islands off the South China Sea known as Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea Tuesday, April 21, 2015, at the Naval Education and Training Command at San Antonio, Zambales. AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ
EIGHT military sites are being eyed to be used by the US troops under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
AFP spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla said on Wednesday these sites have yet to be finalized.
“May mga nauna na pong usapan tungkol sa posibleng lugar pero lahat ng mga lugar na ito ay hindi pa pinal. Isasagawa pa yung pag-uusap uli lalo na ngayon meron na tayong go signal na constitutional ang EDCA,” he said.
Priority areas are Basa Air Base in Clark, Pampanga and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
Other sites being considered are Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan; Benito Ebuen Airbase in Mactan, Cebu; Clark Air Base; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro; two naval bases in Palawan and Cebu.
“Kaya sila natin pinapayagan magkaroon ng kagamitan sa lugar na ito na pwede nating gamitin agad-agad kapag may sakuna na kailangang respondehan,” Padilla said.
He said most of these equipment are for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
Edca, which was signed in 2014, was questioned for its legality and was only declared constitutional by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The agreement will allow more US troops and equipment to be stationed in the Philippines.
The signing comes amid increasing maritime tensions between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea and the US implements its rebalance strategy to Asia.
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