PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is scheduled to have a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington D.C. on the 1st of May.
The purpose of the said meeting is to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
For a well-known lawyer in the Philippines, Atty. Larry Gadon, this will not affect the Philippines’ foreign policy of being ‘friends to all, enemies to none’.
He said it will not affect the country’s relationship with China.
It is evident that there are heightening tensions between the United States and China because of the conflict regarding Taiwan.
Initially, China also did not agree with the idea of having additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA sites in the Philippines saying it will worsen tensions in the region.
Meanwhile, Atty. Larry Gadon believes that it is not good for the Marcos administration to terminate the 10-year agreement when it comes to EDCA.
It can be remembered that there was an EDCA agreement between the United States and the Philippines during the Aquino Administration for the modernization of the Philippines’ military by having joint exercises.
Atty. Gadon said that the moment the president terminates this agreement, the country’s image could be damaged.
“We have to respect agreement,” said Atty. Lary Gadon.
Based on the defense department, there are additional EDCA sites in parts of Northern Luzon.
It was something that senators in the Philippines initially rejected because they said there was no tension or harassment experienced by fishermen in the said area.
