Fact checks about countries

FACT CHECK: Pag-Asa Island won’t be used as PH-US military base

Rappler.com

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FACT CHECK: Pag-Asa Island won’t be used as PH-US military base
The additional Philippine sites that the US military will have access to under EDCA have yet to be specified

Claim: Pag-Asa Island in Palawan will be used as a military base of the Philippines and the United States.

The Facebook video post title says: “LUMABAN TAYO! PAG-ASA ISLAND GAGAWING MILITARY BASE NG AMERIKA AT PILIPINAS, PCG MAGLALAGAY NG MALALAKING ARMAS #ayunginshoal #WestPhilippineSea #pcgmodernization #afpmodernization…”

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a video posted by GOOD News Philippines Facebook page which currently has 92,000 followers. The video has 177,000 views, 14,000 reactions, and 2,200 shares as of writing. 

The facts: The video caption claims that Pag-Asa Island will be used as a military base of the United States and the Philippines.

However, an announcement made by the two countries on February 2 stated that there were no specific locations yet of the country’s military bases that the US military will get access to, as allowed under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro only said that locations being considered for access are the country’s bases in Cagayan, Zambales, and Palawan.

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez on February 6 pushed for the inclusion of Pag-Asa Island as a possible additional site under EDCA, to deter further Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

There are five sites in the country where the US military currently has access to, under EDCA: Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro, and the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu. – Jezreel Ines/Rappler.com

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