Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr and AFP Chief Staff General Romeo S Brawner Jr PA arrive in Lal-lo, Cagayan via Philippine Air Force’s Black Hawk helicopter. PAO AFP
LAL-LO, Cagayan — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday called for the need to speed up the development of all bases where the Americans have access in the Philippines for “increased operational tempo” during disaster response and to strengthen the country’s deterrence.
Teodoro visited Lal-lo Airport in this province, one of the four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) added in April, which increased the US-accessible sites in the country from five to nine.
“What we saw here is that we need to fast-track the development of our Philippine bases with Edca facilities so we can preposition our equipment and air assets, not just from the Philippines but from the US,” he said on the sidelines of his visit here with the military top brass.
The Edca, a key agreement signed in 2014, allows Washington to build facilities and preposition assets in some strategically located military bases in the country. The United States has so far allotted $100 million for all nine bases.
The four new sites—three of which are facing Taiwan while the other near the West Philippine Sea—were “essential to the integrity of our credible deterrent posture and Philippine territorial security,” Teodoro said.
Washington’s soft power
Also on Thursday, two US military helicopters loaded with supplies, troops and equipment took off from the airport here to provide relief support in Calayan and Fuga Islands in the aftermath of Typhoon “Egay” (international name: Doksuri) that affected 150,000 people here.
It was an apparent display of Washington’s soft power in a province facing Taiwan and whose governor is strongly opposed to American presence here.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba had opposed the inclusion of two sites in Cagayan (the other is a Philippine Navy base) as part of the new Edca locations, saying this could drag the province into a US-China conflict over Taiwan, the self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own territory.
China, which has stepped up its aggression in the South China Sea and over Taiwan, had accused the Philippines of “stoking the fire” of regional tension when it granted the United States new Edca sites.
Without directly referring to China, Teodoro said that they have reassured “other countries” that the Philippines will not wage war or any offensive action as part of its Constitution.
“If its proximity to Taiwan is a geographical accident and other people are paranoid about it, it’s their problem. For me, my concern is Philippine national interest and national security,” he said. “Now, if they do not take our word for it, then how can we trust each other?”