Duterte threatens to stop Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)

[Pinoy]

October 2nd, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer




MANILA — President Duterte threatened on Sunday (Oct. 2), to stop the implementation of the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) as he revealed he would soon announce a new policy that his government would observe in connection with the country’s ties with the United States.

Mr. Duterte said his government has been reviewing the EDCA, reminding the US government that while it might be an official document, it was just an executive agreement not even signed two years ago by then president Benigno Aquino III, but only by his official representatives in the negotiation for EDCA.

He said EDCA, which was signed in 2014 but was not implemented until the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in January, was only signed by then defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin and a US aide.

“Better think twice now because I would be asking you to leave the Philippines altogether,” President Duterte said to the US government. That would happen, said the President, if the US were “unable to produce the signature bearing the permit to conduct war games.”

The President made the statement as he reiterated he would strengthen the country’s ties with China and Russia, disclosing for the first time he had talked to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev while he was in Laos for the Asean summit last month.

The President said he met with Medvedev and told him about the way the US was humiliating him and that the latter told him he would help him.

He said China, on the other hand, told him to go with Beijing because the US would not be able to give Philippines some assistance.

Reiterating the insults he got from the US, President Duterte said “tomorrow I will be friends with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Chinese President) Xi Jinping.”

In a speech in Bacolod City where he attended the 37th Maskara festival, the President slammed the US for the reprimand and insult that he said it has been hurling at him over his deadly war on drugs.
“If you Americans are angry with me, then I am also angry with you,” he said.

Mr. Duterte decried that the US has not been helping the country in its war on drugs, saying his administration did not have money and has been working on a national budget prepared by the administration of Benigno Aquino III that did not anticipate the extent of the drug problem in the country.

He again reiterated that he has been considering to have Americans in Mindanao pack their bags so that he could negotiate with a group of Muslim scholars whom he said refused to negotiate with him due to the US presence in the South.

He said these scholars told him they would talk to him but would not negotiate with him about peace “as long as the Americans are in Mindanao.”

“This prompted me to say there may be a time I may ask the US to leave Mindanao to be able to connect to them and talk and maybe they will decide to negotiate,” he said.

“I’m just being your President,” he added, reminding that he had earlier said he would “open another front in our foreign policy” with the US due to the humiliation it has heaped on him.

 

[Jlaw]

Duterte has more balls than Putin. He is making the right move . US doesn't want PH to be at peace with Mindanao. US profit from war.

 

[somsak]

I felt he is like Thaksin. War on Drug. That was Thaksin do.

 

[Sanchez]

Mr D sounded that he has two "cards", Russia & China, to play anyway he wants with the US. The relation of PH with US is not our problem and China would not do anything to "trade" a deal on the matter.

PH should realize that relation with China is bilateral. Don't drag in the US as a backup or don't use us to play with US. Only a kid would love this type of "game".

 

[Pinoy]

President Duterte is NOT like all the politicians you know your whole life everywhere. He is a unique breed and does not care about politics or political image. He only cares about his people and how to make his place a safer, better and progressive one. He did it in his place in Davao City as a Mayor for 20 years and the reason why he was voted as president even without a strong party machinery. He is damaging the world order and so all media (local / international) UN, US, EU, Filipino oligarchs, Yellow Party (Aquino) and big crime/drug syndicates are against him. Yet he is surviving with the support of 91% of Filipinos, 0.2% against him and the rest are neutral. That's very impressive and really historic. No one was able to accomplish that. With that mandate, he has the confidence to do anything, even declare Martial Law if he wants to and I'm sure people will support him. He has the full support of the police and military. Just barely 3 months as president, the reported crime in our country already drop by 50% meanwhile the twisted local media is feeding the world to destroy our president.

 

[Pinoy]

Mr D sounded that he has two "cards", Russia & China, to play anyway he wants with the US. The relation of PH with US is not our problem and China would not do anything to "trade" a deal on the matter.

PH should realize that relation with China is bilateral. Don't drag in the US as a backup or don't use us to play with US. Only a kid would love this type of "game".

Given our very strategic location, having an independent foreign policy will be tricky with the push and pull of the two superpowers. The more Pres. Duterte gets away with the U.S, the more he gets closer to China or Russia's embrace but I believe in his wisdom to resolve these issues with the Filipinos' interest first and foremost in his mind.

 

[艹艹艹]

Duterte eyes review of EDCA
By Alexis Romero(The Philippine Star)|Updated October 3, 2016 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte continued his anti-US rhetoric yesterday as he vowed to review the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which grants American troops access to Philippine military bases.

Duterte said the two-year-old defense deal does not contain the signature of a Philippine president.

“Now, may I remind the Americans that EDCA is an official document but it’s only signed by an aide and (former defense secretary Voltaire) Gazmin. It does not bear the signature of the president of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte said in a speech during the opening of the MassKara festival in Bacolod City.

“It does not contain the signature of (former president (Benigno) Aquino. There is none. Better think twice now because I would be asking you to leave the Philippines altogether,” he added.

Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg signed the EDCA at Camp Aguinaldo on April 28, 2014.

The 10-year agreement permits US forces to build temporary facilities in Philippine bases to strengthen the country’s equipment-deficient military.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
A product of eight-month negotiations, EDCA was viewed as a response to the aggressiveness of China, a rival claimant of the Philippines in the South China Sea dispute.

Some former lawmakers and activists questioned the legality of the agreement before the Supreme Court, believing the deal requires the ratification of the Senate.

The Supreme Court upheld the legality of EDCA last January. The high court ruled that EDCA is a “valid executive agreement” that the President can enter into under the Constitution.

Some lawmakers, however, are convinced that a chief executive can easily scrap EDCA because it is just an executive agreement, not a treaty ratified by the Senate.

“After a review of that document, if I find no signature, if you cannot produce a signature bearing the permit allowing you to come here and to conduct war games, ask your military not me,” Duterte said without elaborating.

It remains unclear what would happen if the US fails to find a signature of the president in the EDCA. What is sure though is Duterte is still angry with the US government’s remarks on his anti-drug war.

“You make it hard for me, you insult me internationally, fine, do it,” Duterte said.

The US State Department has expressed concern over Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, which has so far claimed the lives of about 3,000 suspected drug offenders. US President Barack Obama has also reminded Duterte to enforce his narcotics crackdown “the right way.”

Duterte, however, viewed the US statements as interference in the Philippines’ affairs and said Washington has no moral ascendancy to lecture on human rights because of its atrocities against Filipino Muslims during the early 20th century.

While Duterte said in his previous speeches that he would not cut ties with the US, he issued what appeared to be a threat against Americans whom he accused of disrespecting him.

“You know these Americans, I said I’ll open up another front in our foreign policy. If you are that disrespectful, you disrespect me, I said let’s just part ways,” he said.

Last week, Duterte said the bilateral military exercises between the Philippines and US would end within his term but officials maintained the administration would honor all international agreements including those signed with the US.

Alliance
Duterte reiterated he would seek stronger ties with China and Russia, countries widely perceived to be rivals of the US.

He revealed the leaders of Russia and China have expressed readiness to help the Philippines during separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos last month.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/10/03/1629833/duterte-eyes-review-edca

 

[jerry_tan]

Rcently USA wont sell missile to the Philippines afraid that Philippines will start a war with China. Its typical diskarte by the President.

 

[TaiShang]

Given our very strategic location, having an independent foreign policy will be tricky with the push and pull of the two superpowers. The more Pres. Duterte gets away with the U.S, the more he gets closer to China or Russia's embrace but I believe in his wisdom to resolve these issues with the Filipinos' interest first and foremost in his mind.

I guess he is right by trying to distance the country from too much cozying with the US. This would not, unlike some China-haters argue, an automatic alliance with China, rather, it would open up a greater room for PH government to maneuver for a more balanced foreign policy. In not so strong powers' case, both abandonment or entrenchment could be tricky and risky; as Aquino found out when he mono-sided with the US like a 51st state or colony.

Duterte appears to be rearranging the cards for a stronger hand; and that's probably the only way out for the present geopolitical and economic impasse.

Add to that the ongoing domestic problems which Duterte perceives as chronical and hence is applying drastic measures, policy-multilateralization makes more sense.

It appears that the US does really want the PH status quo of perennial dependency and economic-social weakness to continue.

 

[anon45]

Given our very strategic location, having an independent foreign policy will be tricky with the push and pull of the two superpowers. The more Pres. Duterte gets away with the U.S, the more he gets closer to China or Russia's embrace but I believe in his wisdom to resolve these issues with the Filipinos' interest first and foremost in his mind.

I think the strategic value of the Philippines to the US is overstated, the US was able to project power into the SCS for decades without a base in the Philippines, so how strategic is it really? Seems more like a feather in a cap. Good to have with you, but not really necessary if need be.

As a power of its own the Philippines' mismanaged navy is too weak to take advantage of its position against China or the US, so can it really be called an advantage at this point? Maybe a potential advantage if your government got its act together and was able to build a navy

 

[Sanchez]

Given our very strategic location, having an independent foreign policy will be tricky with the push and pull of the two superpowers. The more Pres. Duterte gets away with the U.S, the more he gets closer to China or Russia's embrace but I believe in his wisdom to resolve these issues with the Filipinos' interest first and foremost in his mind.

I agree.

I think the strategic value of the Philippines to the US is overstated, the US was able to project power into the SCS for decades without a base in the Philippines, so how strategic is it really? Seems more like a feather in a cap. Good to have with you, but not really necessary if need be.

As a power of its own the Philippines' mismanaged navy is too weak to take advantage of its position against China or the US, so can it really be called an advantage at this point? Maybe a potential advantage if your government got its act together and was able to build a navy

To solve a dispute doesn't mean that you need to be stronger in military to win. Is that a US logic? If so I don't think that US navy can be much stronger than PLA in the SCS theartre. We'll kick ur a-s if any armed incidence occur.