Defense deal won’t allow US warships to bring nuclear weapons to PHL --Palace

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 14): Defense deal won’t allow US warships to bring nuclear weapons to PHL --Palace
 
Malacanang assured on Monday that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDC) agreement between the Philippines and the United States will not allow the US to bring nuclear weapons within the Philippine territory.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a Palace media briefing, made the clarification following the conclusion of the eighth round of negotiations on the agreement last week.

The agreement includes the increased rotational presence of US troops in the country.

Valte said the agreement reached will have to be under the ambit of the 1987 Constitution and the existing framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.

She added that the Philippine panel has always been “very cognizant” of that aspect of the agreement.

“What I can tell you is that the explicit guidance of the President (Benigno S. Aquino III) is to make sure that the agreement and the negotiations are conducted with strictest compliance with our existing laws,” Valte said.

“Again, with the negotiations, they were very cognizant as well of our limitations, as well as the laws that we have to follow, at least on the Philippine side,” she added.

Nuclear weapons are banned from entering the Philippine territory, according to the 1987 Constitution.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=635135