By Ankit Panda
The US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement is a boon to the “Pivot to Asia.”
U.S. President Barack Obama returns from Asia with a major deliverable on the security side of the “pivot to Asia”: the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, signed Monday. Under the agreement, the U.S. military will enjoy greater access to bases across the Philippines archipelago for a 10-year term. The agreement does not amount to a formal basing agreement nor does it imply that U.S. troops or other assets will be stationed in the Philippines permanently. The constitution of the Philippines forbids the country from hosting a permanent U.S. military presence or base.
The agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. The signing was timed with President Obama’s arrival in Manila— the last leg of his four-nation Asia tour, following visits to Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia. According to the Associated Press, U.S. troops would be deployed ”on temporary and rotational basis” to the Philippines. Goldberg noted that the agreement will “promote peace and security in the region,” particularly by allowing U.S. and Philippine forces to respond quickly to disasters in the region. For example, last year’s deadly Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines resulted in the U.S. Navy deploying several assets to assist the Philippines. With this new agreement, the Navy’s response time would be increased.
Read the full story at The Diplomat