ON May 1, 2023 (Labor Day), Maricar Serrano and I had as our guest in our weekly radio show "Pugad Bloggers" on DZRJ 810 AM the international relations scholar, writer and host Sass Rogando Sasot. It was an interesting hourlong, freewheeling discussion of the topic of the day, the country's Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States.

The three of us covered quite some ground in that episode. What stood out to me is arguably the most important question regarding the undeniable connection between EDCA and the country's disputes with China over strategic areas in the South China Sea:

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