Bayan Muna Party-list opposed Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers’ new proposal to establish an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in his province. Mindanao-born Bayan Muna second nominee Atty. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the plan will have long-term adverse effects on the country’s sovereignty, peace, and development.

“The EDCA sites undermine our country’s sovereignty. The presence of foreign troops and facilities could escalate regional tensions and drag the Philippines into conflicts that are not our own,” Atty. Zarate said. The former congressman is referring to the ongoing conflicts between imperialist US and its rival imperialist China.

Rep. Barbers pushed for the proposal anew last January 2, following the discovery of a so-called “Chinese submarine drone” nine kilometers away from the shore of San Pascual, Masbate last December 30, 2024. Barbers argued that his province needs an EDCA site because “the eastern part of the country is vulnerable to smugglers and foreign intrusions.”

Rep. Barbers said his brother, Gov. Lyndon Barbers of the province, has long been calling for an EDCA site. The congressman further expressed alarm, stating, “China has long been conducting deep-sea military activities within the Philippine territorial waters.”

Atty. Zarate clearly responded, “Mindanao deserves genuine development, not militarization risks.” There is yet no EDCA in that part of Mindanao, but US warships and military equipment have already been freely traversing in its nearby seas. Such warships have passed through the Surigao Strait, a narrow passage between Leyte and Mindanao.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) carrying six F-35C Lightning II aircraft assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, part of Carrier Air Wing 2 has reportedly sailed in the last week of December 2024. Other ships of Carrier Strike Group One, including USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), USS Sterett (DDG 104), and USS Princeton (CG 59) accompanied the CVN 70. It even anchored at the Balabac Strait near Palawan to “celebrate Christmas.”

“These [EDCA sites] underscores the need for a robust and independent defense strategy, not one relying on foreign powers,” Atty. Zarate said. The former congressman advocates for strengthening the country’s coast guard capabilities, improving surveillance technology, and fostering diplomatic solutions to conflicts and tensions in the region.

He called on fellow Mindanaons and Filipinos to be vigilant and defend our sovereignty. “Let us work towards a truly independent foreign policy prioritizing Filipino interests over foreign agendas,” he concluded.

There are currently nine declared US “EDCA sites” in the Philippines. Five bases were initially approved by the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) on March 19, 2016. These include Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airport in Cagayan De Oro; Antonio Bautista Airbase in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

MDB-SEB added more “EDCA sites” in February 2023 in the name of “preparing” for the “Chinese threat.” These include Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan. Meanwhile, other US military bases are not publicly acknowledged.