SUMMARY

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has no plans to grant the United States access to more military bases, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday, April 15, after nearly doubling the number last year under a joint defense pact.

Beijing has previously accused the Philippines of “stoking the fire” when it increased the number of bases the US military could use to nine from five, with the new sites located close to potential flashpoints.

“The answer to that is no,” Marcos said in response to a query whether the Philippines would allow the US access to more bases.

“The Philippines has no plan to create any more bases or give access to any more bases,” he told a forum with foreign correspondents.

Last year, Washington and Manila discussed further expanding the number of b…

Source:https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-no-plans-grant-united-states-access-more-bases/