Should US Pay Philippines for Military Bases? Some Filipino Lawmakers Say Yes

The U.S. government is still using some lands in the Philippines for its military bases.

Because of this, some Filipino lawmakers want the United States to start paying for their military bases in the country.

Recently, Philippine lawmakers asked the Marcos administration to adjust two defense treaties with the United States.

Legislator Ronald dela Rosa proposed to make U.S. troops pay for using the Philippines as their military bases.

This proposal was also backed by Senator Francis Escudero.

Should the US Pay the Philippines for Military Bases?

According to the South China Morning Post's latest report, Escudero said that the U.S. government commonly pays countries whenever it uses its lands.

They do this to cover the expenses of their buildings, site maintenance, rents, and other financial compensation to the host country.

"These agreements are usually established through formal diplomatic channels and can be revised or renegotiated over time," said Escudero via Inquirer.Net.

Their proposal to make the United States pay for using the Philippines for their military bases came as the tension in the Taiwan Strait intensified.

Numerous military experts claimed that the Philippines is becoming more important to the U.S. since Washington wants to counter the aggressive military actions of China.

Senator Escudero explained that dela Rosca might push his proposal by filing a resolution to urge the entire 24-member chamber to ask the Marcos Administration to amend the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

This agreement between the U.S. and the Philippines could force the American government to pay for using lands for their military sites.

Four New US Military Locations in the Philippines

In April, the Philippine government confirmed that there will be four new military bases in the country. Some of these new locations are near the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Because of this, dela Rosa wants the Philippine government to start asking the U.S. for payment.

"We have to amend the VFA and tell [the US] to pay. They have been using our land, but they don't pay for anything," said the legislator.

You can click this link to learn more about the proposal of dela Rosa.