Updated June 11, 2020
The Philippines
Overview
coronavirus measures. The United States has provided
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines have
nearly $19.5 million in pandemic response assistance to the
a deep relationship that includes a bilateral security
Philippines as of May 2020. The Philippine economy,
alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to-
which has grown at an average rate of over 6% since 2015,
people ties, and many shared strategic and economic
is expected to contract in 2020 due to the pandemic,
interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines as a
particularly its effects on trade, tourism, and remittances.
colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of
Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Since President
The Alliance and Defense Relations
Rodrigo Duterte was elected in 2016, his violent antidrug
The U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty requires the
campaign and harassment of political opponents, human
two countries to help defend each other against external
rights activists, journalists, and the media, as well as his
armed attack. In March 2019, Secretary of State Mike
distrust of the United States and rapprochement with China,
Pompeo stated, “As the South China Sea is part of the
have raised concerns among many U.S. policymakers.
Pacific, any armed attack of Philippine forces, aircraft or
public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual
Among Filipinos, popular support for the U.S.-Philippines
defense obligations under Article 4 of our Mutual Defense
relationship is strong. According to a November 2019
Treaty.”
survey conducted by Philippines-based Social Weather
Stations, 80% of respondents said they had “much trust” in
Philippines at a Glance
the United States as an ally (compared to 21% for China). A
Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona
2018 Pew poll found that Filipinos prefer U.S. global
leadership (77%) over that of China (12%). Despite his
Population: 109 mil ion
antidrug policies and generally nonconfrontational stance
Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%); Chinese, mixed race
toward China, both of which have raised some controversy
(Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and
in the Philippines, Duterte remains popular domestically.
other (5%).
Mid-term elections in May 2019 resulted in large pro-
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian
Duterte majorities in both houses of the national legislature.
(9%); Muslim (5%); other (5%).
Recent Developments
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 bil ion (purchasing
Foreign operations appropriations legislation for FY2020
power parity). Global ranking: 29.
(P.L. 116-94; S.Rept. 116-126) bars entry of Philippine
Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity).
officials determined to “have been involved in the wrongful
imprisonment” of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9%); Industry
leading critic of the antidrug campaign. On January 8, 2020,
(31%); Services (60%).
S.Res. 142, condemning the Philippine government for
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2020.
state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings and calling for the
release of Senator De Lima, passed in the Senate. In mid-
In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who
January 2020, reports emerged that the U.S. visa of Senator
steered the Philippines strategically towards the United
Ronald Dela Rosa, who ran the antidrug campaign between
States, Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with China, the
2016 and 2018, had been revoked, although the cancellation
Philippines’ biggest trading partner and a large source of
may have occurred earlier.
foreign investment. The Philippines also has expanded its
sources of military assistance, including from U.S. allies
On February 10, 2020, the Philippines submitted a “notice
and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South Korea, and
of termination” of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces
India, as well as from China and Russia.
Agreement (VFA), which governs the legal status of U.S.
The Philippines remains the largest recipient of U.S.
military forces operating in the Philippines and establishes
Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in Asia and a principal
rules by which U.S. troops, vessels, and aircraft may enter
recipient of military assistance under the Department of
the country. On June 2, 2020, the Philippines suspended the
Defense (DOD) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative.
termination for six months. Foreign Secretary Teodoro
U.S. military personnel and the Armed Forces of the
Locsin stated that the suspension was decided “in light of
Philippines (AFP) collaborate on counterterrorism efforts,
political and other developments in the region.”
regular joint military exercises, and humanitarian activities.
Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”), the premier annual
The Philippines has recorded over 15,000 cases of COVID-
bilateral exercise, took place in March 2019 with 7,500
19 and over 1,000 deaths as of early June 2020. In April
U.S. and Philippine troops and a small military contingent
2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
from Australia. Balikatan 2020 was cancelled due to health
Rights criticized several countries, including the
concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S.-
Philippines, for violating human rights while implementing
Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
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The Philippines
(EDCA), signed in 2014, allows for the increased rotational
(DOD) in 2017, aims to support the Philippines in
presence of U.S. military forces, ships, and aircraft in the
combatting terrorist groups in the south of the country. In
Philippines, although its future course is unclear given
2020, DOD plans to spend an estimated $72.3 million on
uncertainties surrounding the VFA.
OPE-P, in which approximately 270 U.S. military personnel
serve in advisory roles.
The “War on Drugs”
Duterte’s “War on Drugs
In 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
,” which began shortly after he
Liberation Front, an armed Muslim separatist group,
took office, has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial
reached an agreement that would establish a new, Muslim-
killings, triggering international condemnation. Drug war-
majority administrative area in Mindanao and the Sulu
related deaths range from government statistics of
Archipelago, called the Bangsamoro Automomous Region
approximately 5,500 to estimates by human rights groups of
of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The BARMM, which
up to 27,000. According to human rights groups, virtually
encompasses five provinces and 4 million people, was
all of the killings have been carried out without due
approved by voters in the region and established in 2019.
process, and the vast majority of victims have been
unarmed, poor, low-level offenders. They allege that police
Other U.S. assistance to the Philippines, which totaled an
have collaborated with vigilantes, planted evidence at the
estimated $124.2 million in FY2019, includes FMF and
scenes of killings, fabricated reports, and held suspected
programs promoting the rule of law, inclusive socio-
drug offenders for ransom. Philippine government officials
economic development, natural resource management, and
state that law enforcement personnel have killed drug
environmental preservation, as well as reducing barriers to
offenders in self-defense during anti-drug operations.
U.S. investment and encouraging private sector investment
in the energy sector. In addition, the U.S. Agency for
Beginning in 2016, the U.S. government suspended
International Development (USAID) has committed $63.6
assistance to Philippine National Police units for
million for humanitarian and recovery efforts in Marawi
counternarcotics activities, although it increased assistance
and has launched a three-year, $25 million program to help
for drug demand reduction, maritime drug interdiction
restart the local economy.
efforts, human rights training, and treatment and
rehabilitation programs. In June 2020, the United Nations
Maritime Disputes with China
Human Rights Council released a report on the human
The Philippines and China have long-standing disputes over
rights situation in the Philippines, with a focus on the drug
waters and land features in the South China Sea, which the
war. It stated, “Persistent impunity for human rights
Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea. Tensions have
violations is stark and the practical obstacles to accessing
risen sharply since 2012, as China has enlarged and placed
justice are almost insurmountable.”
military assets on several disputed features in the Spratly
archipelago, and increasingly interfered with Philippine
Violent Extremism and U.S. Assistance
commercial and military activity in its Exclusive Economic
The Philippines long has battled Muslim armed separatist
Zone (EEZ). In 2019 and 2020, Chinese vessels maintained
and terrorist movements on the southern island of
a near-constant flotilla in waters around Thitu Island, the
Mindanao. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which the
largest Philippine-occupied feature in the Spratlys.
United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization
in 1997, has carried out hostage-takings for ransom,
The previous Aquino government sought arbitration under
killings, and bombings since the early 1990s. Philippine
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
military efforts, supported by U.S. assistance as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom from 2002 to 2015, reduced
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine Dash Line”
the size of the ASG from 1,000-2,000 militants in the mid-
claims to
1990s to an estimated 400 members.
areas overlapping the Philippines EEZ have no legal basis.
The tribunal also found that China violated its UNCLOS
In May 2017, a coalition of Filipino Islamist extremist
obligations by blocking Philippine access to Scarborough
groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS),
Shoal, interfering with Philippine oil and gas exploration at
along with dozens of foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi,
Reed Bank, and damaging the marine environment by
a city in Mindanao. With U.S. and other foreign assistance,
reclaiming land. China declined to participate in the
the AFP retook the city in October 2017. The conflict
proceedings and declared the verdict “null and void.”
resulted in the deaths of nearly 900 militants, over 150
Philippine troops and roughly 50 civilians, as well as the
The Duterte government has largely ignored the ruling,
destruction of much of the city.
focusing initially on cooperation with China and seeking
Chinese development loans, investment, and assistance with
In February 2018, the Department of State added ISIS-
large infrastructure projects. Such investment, however, has
Philippines (ISIS-P), a loose collection of groups who had
been slow to materialize. In 2016, Duterte suspended U.S.-
pledged allegiance to IS, to its list of Foreign Terrorist
Philippine joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea,
Organizations. The network, renamed ISIS-East Asia (ISIS-
although they were resumed two years later. In 2019, the
EA) in 2019, has an estimated 300-500 fighters in the
Philippines took part in a joint patrol in the South China
Philippines. In March 2020, a week-long AFP offensive
Sea with the navies of the United States, Japan, and India.
against ISIS-EA in Mindanao resulted in the deaths of at
least 14 militants and four Philippine soldiers. Operation
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
Pacific Eagle-Philippines (OPE-P), a counterterrorism
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs
campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Defense
IF10250
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The Philippines


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10250 · VERSION 41 · UPDATED

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