Manila, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday the United States would not be given access to more Philippine military bases.
“The answer to that is no. The Philippines has no plan to open or to establish more EDCA bases,” Marcos said in response to an AFP question.
Manila last year announced the locations of four more military bases it is allowing the US military to use on top of the five agreed on under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA.
The deal allows US troops to rotate through and store defence equipment and supplies.
The four additional bases include sites near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.
Marcos made his remarks during a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines that was attended by members of the Philippine military and foreign diplomats.
