Tulfo seeks review of EDCA amid Middle East conflict

National

CONCERNED over the rising volatility in the Middle East, Sen. Erwin Tulfo has calledfor a formal review of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.

Tulfo warned that the presence of American military facilities on Philippine soil could inadvertently turn the country into a target as regional conflicts escalate.

Per a report by Philstar, the senator told dzBB that recent attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East have raised significant concerns regarding the safety of Filipino civilian communities located near EDCA sites.

“With all these instances where other countries target American facilities, we have to review EDCA because we might become a target of regional conflicts,” said Tulfo, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee.

The lawmaker noted that commercial areas and local businesses often surround these military installations, putting civilians at risk of collateral damage.

Looking toward legislative action, Tulfo expressed a need to coordinate with colleagues across the political spectrum to assess the pact’s impact on national safety.

“I need to consult the Senate leadership and look at what we can do about EDCA, consult majority and minority for our countrymen,” he added.

The 2014 agreement currently allows the U.S. to rotate troops and maintain facilities within designated Philippine military bases.

The push for a review comes as U.S. military installations in the Middle East face increasing retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Iran and its proxy forces. Supporting the call for caution, Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized that the Philippines, as a developing nation, cannot afford the economic or social costs of being dragged into a foreign war.

“We need to look after our own interests. We are a developing country and our continued growth is important. We could not afford to be involved in these conflicts because it is really hard to recover,” Gatchalian said.(Jhon Mark A. Aboabo, USJ-R Comm Intern)