The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported last January 12, 2016 that the Supreme Court of the Philippines, by a vote of 10-4, upheld the legality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.
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The Philippines booted the US military out of the country 25 years ago, deriding the American troops as unwelcome guests and living symbols of colonialism.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea and has territorial conflicts with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
The KMU statement also recalled the bloody Mamasapano incident previous year, which it said involved U.S. military presence.
“While we grapple with non-traditional security concerns and natural… disasters, traditional security challenges, to include territorial and maritime disputes, remain… fundamental concerns”, he said.
The court ruled that the pact did not amount to a treaty that would need approval from the country’s Senate and instead could stand as an “executive agreement” under the authority of the country’s president, Benigno Aquino III.
Filipino and USA embassy officials declined to give details on Tuesday as to how quickly the pact would be implemented, or specifics such as which bases would be used by the Americans.
Protesters appeal to the Supreme Court to scrap Edca in a picket in 2015.
On the other hand, it is no secret that some USA politicians clarified that the deal was inked “as Manila finds itself the target of Chinese coercion in the West Philippine Sea and is looking to Washington for leadership”.
“We are continuing talks and we will finalise the agreement on the locations”, he said without giving a timetable when the decision would be reached.
“This move has once again proved that the SC is just a rubber stamp for the United States military’s interventionist policies in our country”, said Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE.
“EDCA is not constitutionally infirm as an executive agreement”, Te said at a news conference after the justices’ long-awaited vote. Other opponents, including Justice for Filipino Americans (JFAV), a nationwide alliance of Filipino World War II veterans organizations and community advocates, say the benefits of the court’s decision to uphold the agreement are “superficial” because it has “disturbed” the balance of powers between the branches of government.
Garcia added that the decision “reeks” of opportunism.
Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment also said they are expecting “more nuclear armed and powered United States vessels to enter in our country and roam our territories”.
The Supreme Court said that EDCA carries out provisions of previous agreements such as the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement.
The EDCA basing deal is a key component of Washington’s ‘pivot to Asia, ‘ the drive to militarily contain China and subordinate its economy to USA interests.
One of the petitioners, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), said it would seek the court’s reconsideration of the case.
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“The officials also reviewed “robust” bilateral cooperation on defense and security, and on trade, investments, tourism, and development; and common challenges posed by “violent extremism” and climate change”, Del Rosario said.
