CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii – After today’s public announcement of the Philippine Supreme Court’s decision that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is consistent with the Philippine constitution, Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander U.S. Pacific Command, provided the following statement:

“The EDCA is a mutually beneficial agreement that will deepen already strong security ties between the Philippines and the United States.

“As part of our strategic rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, the EDCA will strengthen our alliance by facilitating rotational presence of U.S. joint forces in the Philippines, increasing bilateral training opportunities, and supporting the international rules-based order that has served the region so well for the last 70 years.

“All U.S. activities will be conducted with the concurrence and at the invitation of the Government of the Philippines, and U.S. Pacific Command looks forward to working with our Filipino allies to implement the agreement.”

-PACOM-

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