A key State Department official hasn’t seen any change in the security relationship between the United States and the Philippines following “colorful” comments made by Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, but he also didn’t rule out the possibility of change moving forward.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said Wednesday Duterte made an “odd” determination to stand by the U.S.-Filipino alliance during a visit from Secretary of State John Kerry to Manila in July, shortly after Duterte’s inauguration. He described their meeting as friendly, candid and open. The U.S. and the Philippines have had a warm relationship that goes back to World War II when the archipelago nation earned its independence from the U.S.
But the U.S.-Filipino relationship seemed to head downhill when Duterte made heated comments toward President Barack Obama at, and following, an international conference in July in Laos. Russel said he was unsure how this about-face would affect the ability of the U.S. and the Philippines to work together to meet global and regional security issues, like countering China’s expansion into the South China Sea.
While the U.S. has no military bases in the Philippines, a pact known as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) gives U.S. troops, among other things, access to Philippine military bases on a rotational basis. This pact was upheld in January following two years of constitutional challenges in the Philippines Supreme Court.
“The president of the Philippines has not, as far as I know, taken action to stop or cancel exercises (or) to request the removal of any U.S. assets or personnel,” Russel told reporters during a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington.
The Defense Department said the EDCA gives the U.S. a chance to help the Filipino military improve the existing military infrastructure, such as runways, at five agreed locations: Antonio Bautista Air Base, Basa Air Base, Fort Magsaysay, Lumbia Air Base and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base. The EDCA also allows the U.S. and the Philippines to increase the complexity of combined training, activities, and exercises. These include major bilateral exercises like April’s Balikatan exercise in which the U.S. military trained with the Philippines on humanitarian assistance and maritime operations.
Pacific Command (PACOM) spokesman Maj. Rob Shuford said Wednesday the number of U.S. forces in the Philippines fluctuates as missions require and in consultation with the Philippines government. Since the U.S. military does not maintain a permanent presence in the Phiilippines, Shuford said, there is a periodic rotation of troops based on operational requirements. Shuford said PACOM is wrapping up the Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) annual bilateral exercise.
Russel said the work of the U.S.-Philippine alliance continues and that he believes any further decisions will be made in a deliberate and thoughtful way. He said if the Philippines proposes specific changes to the way the two nations operate, the U.S. will deal with it at that time.
Russel said Duterte is planning to travel to China after having very significant dialogue with Beijing and he called the warming of the relationship between the Philippines and China desirable after a long stretch of tense relations. Russel said further talks between Manila and Beijing are a good thing as long as the dialogue is on terms that are acceptable to the Philippines and is undertaken in a way consistent with international law.
Despite which choices Duterte makes, Russel said he’ll find the U.S. is a steadfast and reliable partner, as it has been for over six decades.
“We’re there for the Philippines,” Russel said.