Philippine lawmakers demand US pays for bases to fund cash-strapped military pension scheme

They have been using our land but don’t pay, the alliance is ‘one-sided’ in favour of Washington, according to legislator Ronald dela Rosa

US has five bases in the Philippines, with four more agreed; Manila does not have enough money to pay for all its troops’ pensions, with a massive funding gap

3-MIN READ3-MIN

A Filipino soldier practices holding a weapon as part of the annual US-Philippines joint military exercises in the Philippines in April. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:08pm, 14 Jun 2023Updated: 5:36pm, 14 Jun 2023

Philippine lawmakers have pushed the Marcos administration to amend two defence treaties with the US and make the long-time security ally cough up for using Manila’s military bases to fund a cash-strapped armed forces pension scheme that is staring at “financial collapse”.

Senator Francis Escudero said he backed fellow legislator Ronald dela Rosa’s proposal seeking to make American troops pay for their presence in the country to revitalise the pension funds of military and other uniformed personnel (MUP).

Escudero, a lawyer, said the United States “usually pays host countries for its foreign bases to cover the expenses of building, maintaining the sites and paying rent or other financial compensation to the host country”.

“These agreements are usually established through formal diplomatic channels and can be revised or renegotiated over time,” he added.

In April the Philippines announced the locations of four more military bases, including near the Taiwan Strait and the disputed South China Sea, that it is allowing the US military to use on top of the five agreed under the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

China has warned the expanded deal could endanger regional peace.