Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is an agreement between the United States and the Philippines intended to bolster the American–Philippine alliance. The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Philippine forces. The U.S. is not allowed to establish any permanent military bases. The Philippines have personnel access to American ships and planes. This agreement has been the subject of criticism by some leftist groups in the Philippines.
| Agreement Between the Republic of the Philippines and The Government of the United States on Enhanced Defense Cooperation | |
|---|---|
| Signed | April 28, 2014 |
| Location | Manila, Philippines |
| Parties | Philippines United States |
| Language | English |
The EDCA is a supplemental agreement to the previous Visiting Forces Agreement. The agreement was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg in Manila on April 28, 2014, preceding a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama with Philippine President Noynoy Aquino that same day. On 12 January 2016, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld the agreement's constitutionality in a 10–4 vote. On 26 July 2016, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled with finality that the agreement is constitutional.
Evan S. Medeiros, a former U.S. National Security Council's senior director for Asian affairs was quoted in The Washington Post as saying, "This is the most significant defense agreement that we have concluded with the Philippines in decades."