MDT or EDCA with Japan? DFA's Manalo says it depends on how situation develops

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday expressed openness to the possibility that the Philippines would have a Mutual Defense Treaty and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with Japan.

At a press press conference after the Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo was asked about the matter following the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA).

“I think that will all depend on how circumstances develop. I think the RAA is an important document because it enables the Philippines and Japan now to have a framework for our cooperation in defense and security and other related issues,” Manalo said.

“And I think whether we need to expand it to cover other areas or not really depends on how the situation develops and also what areas we wish to proceed,” he added.

Signed by Manila and Washington in 1951, the MDT is a defense pact that unites the two allies to help defend each other from aggression.

Meanwhile, signed in 2014, EDCA grants US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities, allowing them to build facilities and preposition equipment, aircraft, and vessels.

‘No significant differences’

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the RAA with Japan has no significant differences compared to the visiting forces agreements with the United States and Australia.

“There are no significant differences between the RAA and the other visiting forces agreements we have with Australia and the United States. It's just tailored to conform to the requirements of the domestic law of each country. That is the only difference,” he said.

“In essence, everything remains the same. It allows the interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces both here and in Japan,” he added.

With this, Teodoro said the Philippines and Japanese militaries should come up with mutually acceptable confidence-building measures for greater “training and interoperability exercises.” — RSJ, GMA Integrated News