The Philippines has increased the possibility of military operations with the US in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) after the Supreme Court ruled the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement as constitutional.
Secretary Albert Del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs, made remarks in a joint press conference in Washington following his and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin’s meeting with their US counterparts.
“EDCA is a very important agreement of our alliance and it is going to be helpful in terms of maritime domain awareness and maritime security cooperation with the United States as far as the South China seas are concerned,” Del Rosario said.
“We are looking now at how we can effectively utilize EDCA in enhancing the security agreement between the two countries,” he added.
“We are looking at the possibility of joint operations,” Del Rosario said. The secretary, however, said that there are still no concrete proposals as regards joint activities in the South China Sea.
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As regards with the meeting with their US counterparts, Del Rosario said that the officials involved looked into a robust cooperation about defense and security, economic cooperation, trade investments and tourism, climate change, and other regional issues. -John Esconde
