MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday clarified that there are no indications the United States is withdrawing its military assets from the Philippines for use in its ongoing war with Iran.
The statement came amid reports that the US is relocating parts of a missile defense system installed in South Korea to the Middle East.
“There are no indications that the US is pulling out military assets from the Philippines. The situation in South Korea involves specific air defense systems being redeployed to the Middle East, which is a separate theater arrangement and does not apply here,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said in a statement.
The AFP has repeatedly emphasized that the Philippines is a defensive country and that its alliance with the US is not linked to the latter’s offensive military activities against any other nation.
“The upward trajectory of the RP-US alliance is manifested in our continuing maritime activities, strengthened MDB-SEB (Mutual Defense Board–Security Engagement Board) engagements, and the recent approval of the Philippine Enhanced Resilience Act, which authorizes $2.5 billion in security assistance over the next five years,” Trinidad said.
The nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country have drawn concern amid fears that the Philippines could become a target of Iranian retaliatory attacks because of these facilities.
“EDCA sites are Philippine bases with facilities dedicated to mutual defense and humanitarian assistance, and are not to be used as staging areas for offensive operations,” Trinidad said.
