Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement

Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
Agreement Between the Republic of the Philippines and The Government of the United States on Enhanced Defense Cooperation
SignedApril 28, 2014 (2014-04-28)
LocationManila, Philippines
Parties Philippines
 United States
LanguageEnglish

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is an agreement between the United States and the Philippines intended to bolster the American–Philippine alliance. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Philippine forces.[1] The U.S. is not allowed to establish any permanent military bases.[2] The Philippines have personnel access to American ships and planes.[1] This agreement has been the subject of criticism by some leftist groups in the Philippines.[3][4][5]

The EDCA is a supplemental agreement to the previous Visiting Forces Agreement. The agreement was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg in Manila on April 28, 2014, preceding a visit by US President Barack Obama with Philippine President Noynoy Aquino that same day.[6] On January 12, 2016, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld the agreement's constitutionality in a 10–4 vote.[7] On July 26, 2016, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled with finality that the agreement is constitutional.[8]

Evan S. Medeiros, a former U.S. National Security Council's senior director for Asian affairs was quoted in The Washington Post as saying, "This is the most significant defense agreement that we have concluded with the Philippines in decades."[9]

  1. ^ a b Dizon, Nikko (December 13, 2015). "Filipinos asked: Who do you want on your side?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference PhDFA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Yuching, Matthew (February 1, 2023). "What you should know about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement".
  4. ^ "Protesters call for EDCA junking". The Philippine STAR.
  5. ^ Roque, Herminio (April 15, 2023). "The infirmities of EDCA". The Philippine STAR.
  6. ^ Guinto, Joel; Talev, Margaret; Mattingly, Phil (April 28, 2014). "U.S., Philippines Sign Defense Pact Amid China Tensions". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  7. ^ "Supreme Court upholds constitutionality of EDCA". CNN Philippines. January 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  8. ^ "Supreme Court affirms decision on EDCA's constitutionality". CNN Philippines. July 26, 2016. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  9. ^ Juliet Eilperin, "U.S., Philippines to sign 10-year defense agreement amid rising tensions" The Washington Post, April 28, 2014