Updated August 5, 2019
The Philippines
Overview
recipient of military assistance under the Department of
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines
Defense (DOD) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative.
maintain a deep relationship that includes a bilateral
security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close
Philippines at a Glance
people-to-people ties, and many shared strategic and
Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona
economic interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines
Population: 105.9 mil ion
as a colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300
years of Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Bilateral
Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%); Chinese, mixed race
relations have faced challenges under President Rodrigo
(Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and
Duterte, who has long held negative views of the United
other (5%).
States. Elected in 2016, Duterte has pursued rapprochement
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian
with China and a violent extrajudicial antidrug campaign.
(9%); Muslim (5%); other (5%).
Major areas of U.S.-Philippine cooperation, nonetheless,
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 bil ion (purchasing
have continued.
power parity). Global ranking: 29.
Among Filipinos, popular support for the U.S.-Philippines
Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity).
relationship is strong. According to a survey conducted by
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9%); Industry
Philippines-based Social Weather Stations (SWS), 81% of
(31%); Services (60%).
respondents said they had “much trust” in the United States
Life Expectancy: 69 years
as an ally. A 2018 Pew poll found that Filipinos prefer U.S.
global leadership (77%) over that of China (12%).
Literacy: 96%
President Duterte remains popular domestically, despite his
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2019.
antidrug campaign and generally non-confrontational stance
toward China, both of which have raised controversy. A
The “War on Drugs”
July 2019 SWS poll found that 80% of Filipinos were
Extrajudicial killings long have been a major human rights
satisfied with his performance. May 2019 mid-term
problem in the Philippines. Duterte’s “War on Drugs,”
elections resulted in large pro-Duterte majorities in both
which began shortly after he took office, has resulted in
houses of the legislature.
thousands of extrajudicial killings, triggering international
Defense Relations
condemnation. The number of drug war-related deaths
ranges from government statistics of 5,500-6,600 to
In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who
estimates by human rights groups of up to 27,000.
steered the Philippines strategically towards the United
States, Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with China, the
According to human rights groups, virtually all of the
Philippines’ biggest trading partner and a potentially large
killings have been carried out without due process, and the
source of foreign investment. The Philippines also has
vast majority of victims have been unarmed, poor, low-
expanded its sources of military assistance, including from
level offenders. They allege that police have collaborated
U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South
with vigilantes, planted evidence at the scenes of killings,
Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia.
fabricated reports, and held suspected drug offenders for
U.S.-Philippine security ties, nonetheless, remain close.
ransom. Philippine government officials state that law
U.S. military personnel and the Armed Forces of the
enforcement personnel have killed drug offenders in self-
Philippines (AFP) collaborate on counterterrorism efforts,
defense during anti-drug operations. Few cases of police
regular joint military exercises, and humanitarian activities.
misconduct have been investigated.
Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”), the premier annual
bilateral exercise, took place in March 2019 with 7,500
In March 2018, President Duterte announced that the
U.S. and Philippine troops and a small military contingent
Philippines would withdraw from the International Criminal
from Australia. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense
Court after the tribunal launched a preliminary investigation
Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, allows
into possible “crimes against humanity” related to the
for the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces,
antidrug campaign. In July 2019, Iceland sponsored a
ships, and aircraft in the Philippines. Implementation of the
resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council,
agreement continues, although it has slowed under Duterte.
which was narrowly adopted, calling for a comprehensive
international report on the human rights situation in the
The Philippines is to receive $60 million out of the $300
Philippines. In response to the extrajudicial killings related
million in regional security assistance announced by the
to the drug war, beginning in 2016, the U.S. government
Department of State in August 2018, and is a principal
suspended assistance to Philippine National Police units for
counternarcotics activities, although it increased assistance
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The Philippines
for drug demand reduction, maritime drug interdiction
million program to help restart local businesses and expand
efforts, human rights training, and treatment and
livelihood opportunities.
rehabilitation programs.
Other U.S. assistance to the Philippines, which totaled
Violent Extremism and U.S. Assistance
$152.9 million in FY2018 and an estimated $119 million in
FY2019, includes support for military modernization, rule
The Philippines long has battled Muslim separatist
of law programs, reducing barriers to U.S. trade and
movements on the southern island of Mindanao. Due in part
investment, inclusive socio-economic development, natural
to weak government control over the region and to the
country’s
resource management, environmental preservation, and
relatively open borders, some splinter groups
private sector investment in the energy sector.
have radicalized or formed links with regional and
international terrorist organizations. The most established
Maritime Disputes with China
of these is the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a terrorist
The Philippines and China have longstanding disputes over
organization that has carried out hostage-takings for
waters and land features in the South China Sea, which the
ransom, killings, and bombings since the early 1990s.
Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea. Tensions have
Philippine military efforts, with U.S. assistance, reduced the
risen sharply since 2012, as China has enlarged and placed
size of the ASG from 1,000-2000 militants in the mid-
military assets on several disputed features in the Spratly
1990s to an estimated fewer than 200 members in 2018.
archipelago, and increasingly interfered with Philippine
In May 2017, a coalition of Filipino Islamist extremist
commercial and military activity in the Philippines’
groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS),
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Many analysts argue that
along with dozens of foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi,
China’s island-building in the Spratlys has enabled it to
a city in Mindanao. With U.S. and other foreign assistance,
deploy considerably more Coast Guard and fishing vessels
the AFP retook the city in October 2017. The conflict
in Philippine (and Vietnamese and Malaysian) waters.
resulted in the deaths of nearly 900 militants, over 150
The previous Aquino government sought arbitration under
Philippine troops and roughly 50 civilians, as well as the
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
destruction of much of the city.
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
In February 2018, the Department of State added ISIS-
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
Philippines (ISIS-P), also known as Daulah Islamiyah, a
tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine Dash Line” claims to
loose collection of groups who had pledged allegiance to
areas overlapping the Philippines EEZ have no legal basis.
IS, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The AFP
The tribunal also found that China had violated its
engages in ongoing, low-level clashes with ISIS-P, whose
UNCLOS obligations by blocking access to Filipino
numbers are estimated at 300-550.
fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, interfering with Philippine
oil and gas exploration at Reed Bank, and damaging the
In 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
marine environment by reclaiming land. China declined to
Liberation Front, an armed Muslim separatist group,
participate in the proceedings and declared the verdict “null
reached an agreement that would establish a new, Muslim-
and void.”
majority administrative area in Mindanao and the Sulu
Archipelago, called the Bangsamoro Automomous Region
The Duterte government has shifted strategy, and largely
of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In January 2019, voters
has ignored the ruling, instead focusing on cooperation with
in Muslim-majority areas overwhelmingly approved the
China and seeking Chinese development loans, investment,
BARMM, which would include five provinces and 4
and assistance with large infrastructure projects. Duterte
million people. Many observers hope that the new political
also suspended U.S.-Philippine joint maritime patrols, a
arrangement will result in the disarmament of separatist
move many analysts believe was aimed at stabilizing
groups and help spur investment and reduce extremism in
relations with China. The two sides, however, have not
the historically poor region. On January 27, 2019, two
come to concrete agreements on how to resolve their
suicide bombers allegedly linked to a faction of the ASG
territorial disputes or on joint resource exploration.
detonated two bombs at a Catholic church on Jolo Island in
Mutual Defense Treaty
the Sulu Archipelago, killing 20 people and wounding over
The U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
100.
requires the two countries to help defend each other against
In 2017, DOD launched Operation Pacific Eagle-
external armed attack. Some analysts argue that the MDT
Philippines (OPE-P), aimed at assisting the AFP combat
does not explicitly obligate the United States to defend
terrorist groups in the south of the country. About 270 U.S.
maritime areas that are disputed by the Philippines and
military personnel serve in advisory roles. In FY2018, DOD
other nations. In March 2019, Secretary of State Mike
obligated $99.4 million for OPE-P, conducted more than
Pompeo stated, “As the South China Sea is part of the
250 joint military activities, and provided $35 million in
Pacific, any armed attack of Philippine forces, aircraft or
military equipment to the AFP. In July 2018, the U.S.
public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual
government announced that it would provide $26.5 million
defense obligations under Article 4 of our Mutual Defense
in State Department counterterrorism assistance for
Treaty.” Some analysts say that this declaration was the
Philippine law enforcement over a two-year period. The
strongest assurance yet on the U.S. military commitment to
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has
the Philippines, particularly in the event of an armed
committed $59 million for humanitarian and recovery
conflict with China.
efforts in Marawi and has launched a three-year, $25
Thomas Lum,
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The Philippines

IF10250
Ben Dolven,


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