Philippines: Duterte Reaffirms U.S. Alliance, Denounces EDCA Again

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Oct. 24 that the Philippines will forge a military alliance with no country other than the United States, Kyodo reported. Speaking on the eve of his landmark visit to Japan, Duterte said Washington has no need to worry about a change in the alliance. On Oct. 25, however, Duterte once again expressed his wish to scrap the U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed last year, which allows the U.S. military rotational access to Philippine military bases. According to Rappler and ABS-CBN, the president said he looks forward to a time when there are no foreign troops stationed on Philippine soil, though he implied that the agreement is unlikely to be canceled in the near future. Duterte earlier called for a review of the agreement. In light of a series of comments casting doubt on the future of the bilateral alliance, senior U.S. diplomats, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, have been pressing Manila for clarification on Duterte’s comments. After speaking with his Philippine counterpart on Oct. 23, Kerry said he believes the two sides can work through the present period of confusion. Kerry’s deputy, Daniel Russel, visited Manila earlier this week.