Nais mabigyang linaw ni Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda ang expansion o pagpapalawig ng military presence ng Estados Unidos dito sa Pilipinas.

Aniya, patas lang na mapaliwanagan ang mga mambabatas hinggil sa hakbang na ito ng US.

“It’s a fair price to ask for clarity. The US has dramatically expanded its military footprint in the Philippines, so it is important that lawmakers understand how, when, and to what extent that presence will be used,” saad ng mambabatas.

Sa ilalim ng Marcos Jr. administration ay nadagdagan ng apat na bagong Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites ang dating lima.

Kailangan na rin ani Salceda na mabigyang linaw kung ano ang maituturing na ‘act of aggression’ salig sa 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) ng Pilipinas at US.

Batay kasi dito, na ano mang aggression laban sa Pilipinas ay magiging epektibo ang MDT at dedepensahan ng US ang ating bansa.

“What counts as an act of aggression that the US will defend the Philippines from? I think clarity on that scale is also a deterrent to would-be aggressors. Otherwise, what’s the point of having the US here with their big guns?” dagdag ng mambabatas.

Plano ni Salceda na linawin ito oras na sumalang sa budget deliberation ang Department of National Defense (DND).| ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes