Updated December 19, 2018
The Philippines
Overview
forces, ships, and aircraft; U.S. access to five Philippine
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines
military bases; and the possibility of more joint exercises.
maintain a deep relationship that includes a bilateral
The Visiting Forces Agreement, which entered into force in
security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close
1999, requires U.S. forces in the Philippines to assume a
people-to-people ties, and many shared strategic and
noncombat role and not to establish a permanent base of
economic interests. The Philippines’ history of U.S.
operations on Philippine soil. Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-
administration (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of
Shoulder”), the premier annual bilateral exercise, took place
Spanish rule, also has shaped the relationship. Bilateral
in May 2018 with 8,000 U.S. and Philippine troops and
relations have faced challenges under President Rodrigo
small military contingents from Australia and Japan.
Duterte, elected in 2016, who has pursued rapprochement
with China and a violent antidrug campaign. Major areas of
Philippines at a Glance
U.S.-Philippine cooperation, nonetheless, have continued.
Geography: Mountainous archipelago
Among Filipinos, popular support for the U.S.-Philippines
Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona
relationship traditionally has been strong. A 2018 Pew poll
Population: 105 mil ion
found that 83% of Filipinos have favorable views of the
Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%); Chinese, mixed race
United States, one of the highest proportions of any country
(Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and
in the survey, and that Filipinos prefer U.S. global
other (5%).
leadership (77%) over that of China (12%). The Philippines
is the United States’ 23rd largest trading partner, and the two
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian
nations conducted $20 billion in trade in 2017. President
(9%); Muslim (5%); other (5%).
Duterte remains popular. A September 2018 poll by
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 bil ion (purchasing
Philippine-based Pulse Asia Research showed him with a
power parity). Global ranking: 29.
75% approval rating.
Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity).
In September 2018, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9%); Industry
Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana met in
(31%); Services (60%).
Washington, DC. Secretary Pompeo pledged support for the
Life Expectancy: 69 years
modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) and
Literacy: 96%
U.S. commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). In
December 2018, the United States returned the Bells of
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2018.
Balangiga, which were taken by U.S. soldiers in 1901
during the Philippine-American War, a gesture that Manila
“War on Drugs”
has long sought. See CRS In Focus IF10990, The Return of
the Bells of Balangiga to the Republic of the Philippines, in
According to official statistics, there were an estimated 1.8
Context.
million users of illegal drugs, mostly methamphetamines, in
the Philippines at the start of Duterte’s anti-narcotics
Defense Relations
campaign in July 2016. Since then, between nearly 5,000
President Duterte expressed skepticism of his country’s
and over 12,000 drug suspects have been killed in the
government’s
strategic tilt toward the United States under his predecessor,
“War on Drugs,” also known as “Operation
Benigno Aquino III. According to analysts, Duterte has
Double Barrel.” The government claims that nearly 5,000
more actively hedged Philippine ties with the United States,
were killed by police in legitimate law enforcement
its principal diplomatic and security partner, and China, its
operations. Human rights groups say that virtually all of the
largest trading partner. The Philippines has expanded its
killings have been carried out without due process, and that
sources of military and development assistance, including
the vast majority of victims have been poor, low-level
from U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan,
offenders. They allege that police have collaborated with
South Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia.
vigilantes, planted evidence at the scenes of killings,
The Philippines signed a defense cooperation agreement
fabricated reports, and held suspected drug offenders for
with Japan, its largest foreign aid donor, in March 2016.
ransom. In March 2018, Duterte announced that the
Philippines would withdraw from the International Criminal
U.S.-Philippine security ties, nonetheless, remain close.
Court after the tribunal launched a preliminary investigation
U.S. military personnel and the AFP collaborate on
into possible “crimes against humanity” related to the drug
counterterrorism efforts, regular joint military exercises,
war. See CRS In Focus IF10743, The Philippines: War on
and humanitarian activities in the Philippines. In 2014,
Drugs and Human Rights Concerns.
under former President Aquino, the two nations signed the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA),
allowing the increased rotational presence of U.S. military
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The Philippines
Separatist Movements and Islamist
(UNCLOS), asserting that aspects of China’s maritime
Extremism
claims and actions in the South China Sea violated
The Philippines has long battled separatist movements in
UNCLOS. In 2016, an UNCLOS tribunal concluded that
the South, largely from Muslim groups seeking autonomy
China’s claims to certain areas that would overlap with the
in the Catholic-majority nation. Given the Philippines’
Philippines 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone
relatively open borders, splinter groups sometimes have
have no legal basis. The tribunal also found that China had
formed links with militants overseas. In May 2017, a
violated its UNCLOS obligations by blocking access to
coalition of Filipino Islamist extremist groups that had
Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, interfering with
pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), along with
Philippine oil and gas exploration at Reed Bank, and
dozens of foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi, a city on
damaging the marine environment by reclaiming land and
the southern island of Mindanao. The Philippine military
constructing artificial islands. China declined to participate
retook the city in October 2017, utilizing considerable U.S.
in the proceedings and declared the verdict “null and void.”
assistance. The conflict resulted in the deaths of nearly 900
The Duterte government has shifted strategy, and largely
militants, over 150 AFP troops and roughly 50 civilians, as
has ignored the ruling of the UNCLOS tribunal. It has
well as the destruction of much of the city.
instead focused on finding ways to cooperate with China in
In February 2018, the Department of State added ISIS-
the South China Sea, including through joint energy
Philippines (ISIS-P), also known as Daulah Islamiyah, a
exploration that would shelve questions of sovereignty, and
loose collection of groups who have pledged allegiance to
sought Chinese development loans, investment, and
IS, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The AFP
assistance with large infrastructure projects in the
has continued to engage in low-level clashes with ISIS-P,
Philippines. Duterte also suspended U.S.-Philippine joint
whose numbers dropped to an estimated 200 fighters during
maritime patrols, which many analysts believe was aimed at
the battle for Marawi, but which may have rebounded to an
stabilizing relations with China.
estimated 500.
In November 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited
In July 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
President Duterte in Manila. At the meeting, Duterte
Liberation Front (MILF), an armed Muslim separatist
proclaimed the “positive momentum” in the relationship
group, reached agreement on the creation of an enlarged
and a “new chapter” of cooperation, while Xi stated that the
and more self-governing administrative region in Mindanao
“two countries are partners in seeking common
and the Sulu Archipelago. A plebiscite is to be held in
development.” They did not come to any concrete
December 2018 and January 2019 in the provinces and
agreements or understandings, however, on the territorial
other administrative areas that may be included in the new
disputes, joint resource exploration, or the status of $24
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
billion in economic projects and financing that China
pledged in 2016, most of which has not yet materialized.
The United States provides various forms of assistance to
the Philippines to address terrorist threats and the
The U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty requires the
underlying economic and social conditions that may give
two countries to help defend each other against external
rise to violent extremism. About 250 U.S. military
armed attack. Some analysts note that the MDT does not
personnel serve in advisory roles. In 2017, the Department
explicitly obligate the United States to defend maritime
of Defense (DOD) launched Operation Pacific Eagle-
areas that are disputed by the Philippines and other nations.
Philippines (OPE-P), aimed at assisting the AFP in
U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed whether the
combatting violent extremist organizations and defeating
treaty applies to disputed features in the South China Sea.
local IS affiliates. DOD obligated $100.2 million for OPE-P
in FY2018. In July 2018, the U.S. government announced
Other U.S. Assistance
that it would provide $26.5 million in State Department
U.S. assistance to the Philippines, which totaled $152.8
counterterrorism assistance (for Philippine law
million in FY2018, supports military modernization,
enforcement) over a two-year period. The U.S. Agency for
counterterrorism activities, efforts to reduce barriers to U.S.
International Development (USAID) has committed $59
trade and investment, and rule of law programs. The U.S.
million for humanitarian and recovery efforts in Marawi
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) administered a
and has launched a three-year, $25 million program to help
$434 million aid compact in the Philippines (2010-2015),
restart local businesses and expand livelihood opportunities.
which focused on tax reform, poverty reduction, and
infrastructure. The Philippines, the largest recipient of U.S.
Maritime Tensions with China
military assistance in Southeast Asia, is to receive $60
The Philippines and China have sovereignty disputes over
million out of the $300 million in regional security
waters and land features in the South China Sea, which the
assistance announced by the Department of State in August
Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea. Tensions have
2018. In addition, the Philippines is the primary recipient of
risen sharply since 2012, as China has conducted large-
assistance under DOD’s five-year (2016-2020), $425
scale reclamation and construction on several disputed
million Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative.
features in the Spratly archipelago, and effectively occupied
Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground about 123
Thomas Lum,
nautical miles off the main Philippine island of Luzon.
Ben Dolven,
In 2013, the Aquino Administration filed for arbitration
IF10250
under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

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The Philippines



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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10250 · VERSION 36 · UPDATED

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