THE United States under its Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the Philippines will have the use of two of the country's biggest international airports for its military operations in case of a war with China, or even just to prepare for such a conflict. On top of that, two other airports — one facing the disputed Spratlys and another looking toward Taiwan — will practically be solely for the US military to use.

These facts have been diabolically concealed by the US and Philippine Defense departments' announcements that two of the 'agreed locations' under EDCA were the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan and the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa. Most Filipinos would have never heard of these air bases (named after little-known Air Force officers killed in the line of duty), and would have thought, 'Why not? These seem to be small bases we can give to the US to use.'