The impact of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States on security in the Asia Pacific region will be discussed among security and defense experts on Tuesday morning at a forum to be held at the National Defense College of the Philippines in Quezon City.
This was announced yesterday by Dindo Manhit, the event organizer. Manhit is president of independent think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi) for International Studies.
Former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino will attend the event.
In a press statement, Manhit said the event with the theme “Asia-Pacific Perspectives on Implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” would feature representatives from the country’s Departments of National Defense and Foreign Affairs who will share insight from the bilateral strategic dialogue that took place in Washington early this year.
He said a panel of representatives from the non-government sector in the Philippines, Japan, the US, and Australia will then give their feedback on the agreement.
Their feedback will then serve as a jump-off point for discussions, including the progress in its implementation and its effects on areas of cooperation in the region.
Other speakers are DFA Undersecretary for American Affairs Maria Andrelita S. Austria; Stratbase ADRi convenor Renato de Castro; Ernest Bower and Gregory Poling of US-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies; Lisa Sharland, senior analyst of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Professor Katsuyuki Yakushiji of Toyo University in Japan.
Other representatives from government agencies, the diplomatic corps, academe and business community are expected to share their insights on the possible scenarios arising from the implementation of the Edca.
Last January, the Supreme Court, after more than two years of delay, finally upheld the constitutionality of Edca, allowing the increased presence of US forces and their equipment on rotation basis in the Philippines.