AFP debunks Iran threat claim

A senior Philippine Navy official has dismissed claims that Iran could target sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), calling such assertions “false narratives” that misrepresent the situation.

Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the circulating reports lack context and fail to reflect the realities of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

“Number one, the conflict in the Middle East is regional in nature involving the Gulf States, Iran, US, and Israel,” he said, stressing that the Philippines is not a party to the hostilities.

He also clarified that EDCA locations are Philippine military bases—not American installations—and are primarily used to strengthen the country’s defense and disaster response capabilities.

“(And) number three, activities on our EDCA sites are (meant) to strengthen the defense capability of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and our HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response) capability,” Trinidad added.

The Navy official further pointed out the geographical and technical limitations that make such threats unlikely. He noted that Iran’s most advanced missile systems have an estimated range of around 2,500 kilometers—far short of the more than 7,000-kilometer distance between Iran and the Philippines.

“Wala pong katotohanan na ito ay maging target, posibleng maging target ng Iran sapagkat napakalayo ang kanilang pinakamalakas na missile system, hindi aabot sa Southeast Asia (There is no truth to claims that EDCA sites could be possible targets of Iran as these are too far away even for their most powerful missile systems, these cannot reached Southeast Asia),” he said.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2014, allows joint training between Filipino and American troops and permits the development of facilities and prepositioning of equipment within select Philippine bases.

There are currently nine EDCA sites across the country, including locations in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Cebu, Cagayan, Isabela, and Cagayan de Oro, all aimed at enhancing military readiness and disaster response capabilities.