No definite plans to reestablish US bases in Philippines

The Philippine government on Sunday stressed that there are no definite plans to reestablish the United States bases in the Philippines even if it was one of the scenarios discussed in anticipation of the brewing tension in Korean Peninsula. Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in an interview over a state-run radio station, said Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had already clarified that the possibility of reestablishing the U.S. bases was just one of the scenarios that is being studied by the government. She added that the establishment of a U.S. bases would only be considered under "extreme emergency" like if war broke out between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea which is not present at the moment. Gazmin on Friday said that the Philippine Constitution do not allow the setting up of a U.S. bases in the country, but it might be considered as one of the extreme measures in case an "extreme emergency" develops in the Korean Peninsula. Both Gazmin and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States requires either of the countries to come to the aid of its ally if it is attacked by another country and the Philippines would stand by its commitment. The Philippines, amid the tension, had put in place contingency measures including evacuation plans in case the situation escalates.