Phl, US near completion of access deal

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and the United States (US) are moving closer to a deal granting American troops greater access to military bases in the country, a defense official said Friday.

Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, chairman of the Philippine negotiating panel, said the 8th round of talks on the base access agreement was “very productive.”

“This round brought us much closer to finding full consensus, and the draft provisions on key points of an enhanced defense cooperation will be submitted to the President for his review,” Batino said in a statement.

Batino said the two panels have found consensus on key points of a draft agreement but did not provide details.

He reiterated that key provisions and modalities would reflect full respect for Philippine sovereignty, non-permanence of US troops and a prohibition against weapons of mass destruction.

Negotiators have also agreed that there would be no US military basing in the Philippines, Batino added.

Lourdes Yparraguirre, Philippine Ambassador to Austria and member of the negotiating panel, said the alliance with the US “continues to be and must remain relevant.”

“Our only option is to make our alliance stronger if we are to maintain international and regional security,” Yparraguirre said.

The 8th round of negotiations was held as the Philippines is preparing for US President Barack Obama’s visit on April 27.

It was also the first meeting of the two panels since the Philippines filed a written argument to the United Nations arbitral tribunal hearing its case against China’s excessive territorial claims.

The Philippines has agreed to provide the US greater access to its military facilities in the face of China’s posturing in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the subject of a territorial dispute in the region.

China is claiming virtually the entire mineral-rich area while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

Militant groups have criticized the government for entering into base access talks with the US, saying this would violate the Philippines’ sovereignty.

Officials, however, insisted that the agreement would be compliant with the constitution and existing laws. –  with Ronald Mendoza