Aquino, Obama confident EDCA will be passed

President Benigno Aquino 3rd and US President Barack Obama are confident that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will hurdle the constitutional challenges being hurled at it, with both leaders noting that the “effective” implementation of the agreement will support the US “pivot” in the region.

“We are one of the oldest allies of America in the region. There is the longstanding treaty, the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement seeks to make the operationalization of both forces that much more real because we will really have… In the Philippines’ part, we will have access to the most modern technology that will bring us into higher capabilities, and that is why we welcome now with very open arms this agreement pending before our Supreme Court,” Aquino said.