Updated February 14, 2020
The Philippines
Overview
States, Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with China, the
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines have
Philippines’ biggest trading partner and a potentially large
maintained a deep relationship that has included a bilateral
source of foreign investment. The Philippines also has
security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close
expanded its sources of military assistance, including from
people-to-people ties, and many shared strategic and
U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South
economic interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines
Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia.
as a colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300
U.S.-Philippine security ties have remained close. The
years of Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Since
Philippines is the largest recipient of U.S. Foreign Military
2016, when President Rodrigo Duterte was elected, his
Financing (FMF) in Asia and a principal recipient of
violent antidrug campaign and harassment of political
military assistance under the Department of Defense (DOD)
opponents, human rights activists, and journalists, as well
Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative. U.S. military
as his distrust of the United States and rapprochement with
personnel and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
China, has raised concerns among many U.S. policymakers.
collaborate on counterterrorism efforts, regular joint
Among Filipinos, popular support for the U.S.-Philippines
military exercises, and humanitarian activities. Balikatan
relationship is strong. According to a September 2019
(“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”), the premier annual bilateral
survey conducted by Philippines-based Social Weather
exercise, took place in March 2019 with 7,500 U.S. and
Stations, 80% of respondents said they had “much trust” in
Philippine troops and a small military contingent from
the United States as an ally (compared to 21% for China). A
Australia. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense
2018 Pew poll found that Filipinos prefer U.S. global
Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014, allows
leadership (77%) over that of China (12%). Despite his
for the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces,
antidrug policies and generally nonconfrontational stance
ships, and aircraft in the Philippines, although its future
toward China, both of which have raised some controversy
course is unclear given uncertainties surrounding the VFA.
in the Philippines, Duterte remains popular domestically.
Mid-term elections in May 2019 resulted in large pro-
Philippines at a Glance
Duterte majorities in both houses of the legislature.
Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona
Recent Developments
Population: 105.9 mil ion
Foreign operations appropriations legislation for FY2020
Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%); Chinese, mixed race
(P.L. 116-94; S.Rept. 116-126) bars entry of Philippine
(Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and
officials determined to “have been involved in the wrongful
other (5%).
imprisonment” of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian
leading critic of the antidrug campaign. On January 8, 2020,
(9%); Muslim (5%); other (5%).
S.Res. 142, condemning the Philippine government for
state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings and calling for the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 bil ion (purchasing
release of Senator De Lima, passed in the Senate. In mid-
power parity). Global ranking: 29.
January 2020, reports emerged that the U.S. visa of Senator
Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity).
Ronald Dela Rosa, who ran the antidrug campaign between
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9%); Industry
2016 and 2018, had been revoked, although the cancellation
(31%); Services (60%).
may have occurred earlier.
Life Expectancy: 69 years
On February 10, 2020, the Government of the Philippines
Literacy: 96%
submitted a “notice of termination” of the Visiting Forces
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2019.
Agreement (VFA), which sets out the terms by which U.S.
Forces operate on Philippine soil. The U.S. Embassy in
Manila issued a statement calling the action “a serious step
The “War on Drugs”
with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippine
Duterte’s “War on Drugs,” which began shortly after he
alliance.” The ending of the VFA, which is to occur 180
took office, has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial
days after the notice of termination, may raise questions
killings, triggering international condemnation. The number
about how the United States would fulfill its obligations
of drug war-related deaths ranges from government
related to joint military exercises and operations, counter-
statistics of approximately 5,500 to estimates by human
terrorism cooperation, and the Mutual Defense Treaty.
rights groups of up to 27,000. According to human rights
groups, virtually all of the killings have been carried out
Defense Relations
without due process, and the vast majority of victims have
In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who
been unarmed, poor, low-level offenders. They allege that
steered the Philippines strategically towards the United
police have collaborated with vigilantes, planted evidence
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The Philippines
at the scenes of killings, fabricated reports, and held
military personnel serve in advisory roles. In FY2019, DOD
suspected drug offenders for ransom. Philippine
budgeted $108.2 million for OPE-P.
government officials state that law enforcement personnel
Other U.S. assistance to the Philippines, which totaled an
have killed drug offenders in self-defense during anti-drug
estimated $124.2 million in FY2019, includes FMF, rule of
operations. Few cases of police misconduct have been
law programs, reducing barriers to U.S. trade and
investigated.
investment, inclusive socio-economic development, natural
resource management, environmental preservation, and
Beginning in 2016, the U.S. government suspended
private sector investment in the energy sector. In addition,
assistance to Philippine National Police units for
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
counternarcotics activities, although it increased assistance
has committed $63.6 million for humanitarian and recovery
for drug demand reduction, maritime drug interdiction
efforts in Marawi and has launched a three-year, $25
efforts, human rights training, and treatment and
million program to help restart local businesses and expand
rehabilitation programs. In March 2018, President Duterte
livelihood opportunities.
announced that the Philippines would withdraw from the
International Criminal Court after the tribunal launched a
Maritime Disputes with China
preliminary investigation into possible “crimes against
humanity” related to the antidrug campaign
The Philippines and China have long-standing disputes over
. In July 2019,
waters and land features in the South China Sea, which the
Iceland sponsored a resolution at the United Nations
Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea. Tensions have
Human Rights Council, which was narrowly adopted,
risen sharply since 2012, as China has enlarged and placed
calling for a comprehensive international report on the
military assets on several disputed features in the Spratly
human rights situation in the Philippines.
archipelago, and increasingly interfered with Philippine
Violent Extremism and U.S. Assistance
commercial and military activity in the Philippines’
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Many analysts argue that
The Philippines long has battled Muslim separatist
China’s island-building in the Spratlys has enabled it to
movements on the southern island of Mindanao. Due in part
deploy considerably more Coast Guard and fishing vessels
to weak government control over the region and to the
country’s
in Philippine (and Vietnamese and Malaysian) waters.
relatively open borders, some splinter groups
have radicalized or formed links with regional and
The previous Aquino government sought arbitration under
international terrorist organizations. The most established
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
of these is the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a terrorist
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
organization that has carried out hostage-takings for
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
ransom, killings, and bombings since the early 1990s.
tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine Dash Line” claims to
Philippine military efforts, with U.S. assistance, reduced the
areas overlapping the Philippines EEZ have no legal basis.
size of the ASG from 1,000-2000 militants in the mid-
The tribunal also found that China violated its UNCLOS
1990s to an estimated 400 members. On January 27, 2019,
obligations by blocking Philippine access to Scarborough
two suicide bombers allegedly linked to a faction of the
Shoal, interfering with Philippine oil and gas exploration at
ASG detonated two bombs at a Catholic church on Jolo
Reed Bank, and damaging the marine environment by
Island, killing 20 people and wounding over 100.
reclaiming land. China declined to participate in the
proceedings and declared the verdict “null and void.”
In May 2017, a coalition of Filipino Islamist extremist
groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS),
The Duterte government has shifted strategy, and largely
along with dozens of foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi,
has ignored the ruling, instead focusing on cooperation with
a city in Mindanao. With U.S. and other foreign assistance,
China and seeking Chinese development loans, investment,
the AFP retook the city in October 2017. The conflict
and assistance with large infrastructure projects. Duterte
resulted in the deaths of nearly 900 militants, over 150
also suspended U.S.-Philippine joint maritime patrols, a
Philippine troops and roughly 50 civilians, as well as the
move many analysts believe was aimed at stabilizing
destruction of much of the city. In February 2018, the
relations with China. The two sides, however, have not
Department of State added ISIS-Philippines (ISIS-P), also
come to concrete agreements on how to resolve their
known as Daulah Islamiyah, a loose collection of groups
territorial disputes or on joint resource exploration.
who had pledged allegiance to IS, to its list of Foreign
Mutual Defense Treaty
Terrorist Organizations.
The U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
In 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
requires the two countries to help defend each other against
Liberation Front, an armed Muslim separatist group,
external armed attack. In March 2019, Secretary of State
reached an agreement that would establish a new, Muslim-
Mike Pompeo stated, “As the South China Sea is part of the
majority administrative area in Mindanao and the Sulu
Pacific, any armed attack of Philippine forces, aircraft or
Archipelago, called the Bangsamoro Automomous Region
public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual
of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The BARMM, which
defense obligations under Article 4 of our Mutual Defense
encompasses five provinces and 4 million people, was
Treaty.” Some analysts say that this declaration was the
approved by voters in the region and established in 2019.
strongest assurance yet on the U.S. military commitment to
the Philippines, particularly in the event of an armed
In 2017, DOD launched Operation Pacific Eagle-
conflict with China.
Philippines (OPE-P), aimed at assisting the AFP to combat
terrorist groups in the south of the country. About 270 U.S.
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
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The Philippines

IF10250
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10250 · VERSION 39 · UPDATED

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