PHL-US sign EDCA Monday

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 27): PHL-US sign EDCA Monday

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) would be signed Monday morning.

In a statement, Department of National Defense (DND) media relations officer Prime Berunia on Sunday said the signing ceremony would take place at 10 a.m. at the Armed Forces of the Philippine-Commissioned Officers' Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Signatories for the Philippines side would be DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg for the American side.

No other details regarding specific information of the EDCA were released.

Early this April, the Philippine and US negotiating panel formally concluded the 8th round of talks for the proposed EDCA.

Both sides have found consensus on key points of a draft agreement.

Defense undersecretary and Philippines negotiating panel chair Pio Lorenzo Batino described the latest round of discussions as “very productive” and cited consensus on key provisions and modalities that would reflect, among others, full respect for Philippine sovereignty, non-permanence of US troops and no US military basing in the Philippines and a prohibition against weapons of mass destruction.

President Benigno S. Aquino III earlier instructed the Philippines panel to comply with and keep within relevant provisions of the Philippine Constitution and Laws.

The draft agreement, which is anchored on mutuality of benefits, states that United States access to and use of Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) facilities and areas would be “at the invitation of the Philippines and with full respect for the Philippine Constitution and Philippine laws.”

In addition, in compliance with the Philippine Constitution, the agreement would also state the understanding of both sides for the United States “not to establish a permanent military presence or base in the territory of the Philippines.”

Furthermore, Bation said the United States has agreed that any equipment and materiél that the US military may bring into the country “shall not include nuclear weapons.”

The agreement would have robust provisions on protection of the environment, human health and safety.

“This round brought us much closer to finding full consensus, and the draft provisions on key points of an enhanced defense cooperation will be submitted to the President for his review,” Batino said.

For her part, member of the Philippine panel Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre, pointed out that the Philippines-United States alliance ”continues to be and must remain relevant”and that in the framework of a dynamic and changing regional architecture" and "our only option is to make our alliance stronger if we are to maintain international and regional security.”

Stating that the agreement is “a step towards realizing that objective,” Yparraguirre said that “as we strive to further enhance our security cooperation, we are looking into new dimensions of significant strategic and operational value.”

She also cited potential economic benefits from the agreement resulting from multiplier effects of joint activities under the proposed agreement.

Batino emphasized that the proposed agreement would provide significant benefits to the Philippines, notably critical and timely support to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, achievement of the country’s minimum credible defense posture, more expeditious humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and the provision of jobs and other economic opportunities through the local goods and supplies procurement that will be made by the United States military.

“Both the Philippines and the United States recognize these are valuable dimensions to this updated framework of cooperation, and we are working together for the realization of the full potentials of this closer defense partnership,” Yparraguirre pointed out.

Highlighting the “maturing relations” between the two allies, Yparraguirre said that the agreement being negotiated contemplates a “new model of security engagement” for both the Philippines and the United States.

“After 15 years of the Visiting Forces Agreement and given current realities, challenges and opportunities, the Philippines is ready for a heightened level of defense cooperation. This agreement - which should stand on mutual trust - is an idea whose time has come,” Batino stressed.

The other members of the Philippine negotiating panel are Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya, Justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and Defense assistant secretary for strategic assessments Raymund Jose Quilop.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=638433