US security assistance to Manila exempted from aid freeze
The Philippines on Monday welcomed the United States’ decision to exempt a portion of its foreign military assistance for the country from the aid freeze ordered by US President Donald Trump, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to their treaty alliance and the strengthening of defense cooperation and interoperability.
A Reuters report earlier said that the Trump administration had released $5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, primarily for security and counternarcotics programs.
“Security exemptions included $870 million for programs in Taiwan, $336 million for modernizing Philippine security forces, and more than $21.5 million for body armor and armored vehicles for Ukraine’s national police and border guards,” the report said.
Reuters said the exemptions had been granted even before US District Judge Amir Ali intervened on Feb. 13, ordering the Trump administration to temporarily lift its funding freeze on programs in place as of Jan. 19.
The US aid freeze order, issued through an internal memo by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month shortly after Trump took office on Jan. 20, halted virtually all foreign aid, except for emergency food programs and military assistance to Israel and Egypt.
“We are very pleased with this development after we worked on getting this exemption. This is another significant sign that our strong partnership and alliance with the United States remains intact with the new Trump administration,” Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez told the Inquirer in a Viber message.
Treaty commitment
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed to reporters that it had been informed of the waiver granted for a portion of the US foreign military financing allocated to the Philippines.
“Both countries are committed to the treaty alliance and to efforts to further strengthen our defense cooperation and interoperability. We will continue to engage the US government on the importance of our bilateral work in supporting our shared goals and priorities,” the DFA said in a separate statement.
Despite concerns over the freeze, Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega previously assured the public that the sweeping order would not severely impact the Philippines, particularly funding for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites.
Established in 2014, Edca authorizes US forces access to agreed locations in the Philippines on a rotational basis, for security cooperation exercises, joint and combined military training activities, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities.
“No, it’s not part of that aid package. They will not suddenly abandon the Edca sites,” De Vega clarified during a weekend news forum on Jan. 25, addressing fears about potential disruptions in Edca site funding.
“In one sentence: They know the importance of Edca for the interest of both the US and the Philippines. Again, I repeat, they know the importance,” he added.
The US assistance is crucial to the Philippines’ efforts to modernize its armed forces and strengthen its maritime capability amid China’s increasing aggressiveness, harassing vessels and aircraft inside its exclusive economic zone.
Last year, then US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and State Secretary Antony Blinken announced the grant of $500 million for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.
