Updated March 3, 2021
The Philippines
Overview
ambitions to garner major infrastructure investment from
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines have
Beijing have been unsuccessful. The Philippines also has
a deep relationship that includes a bilateral security
expanded its sources of military assistance, including from
alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to-
U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South
people ties, and many shared strategic and economic
Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia.
interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines as a
colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of
Philippines at a Glance
Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship.
Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona
Surveys indicate that support for the U.S.-Philippines
Population: 109 mil ion
relationship is strong among Filipinos. However, President
Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95%); Chinese, mixed race
Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, has pursued some policies
(Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and
to lessen Philippine dependence on the United States,
other (5%).
toward which he often has expressed resentment, and to
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81%); other Christian
develop deeper ties with China.
(9%); Muslim (5%); other (5%)
Duterte remains popular domestically, according to opinion
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 bil ion (purchasing
polls, despite an economic downturn caused by the
power parity). Global ranking: 29
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, his
Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity)
violent antidrug campaign, and his controversial foreign
GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9%); Industry
policy stances. Mid-term elections in May 2019 resulted in
(31%); Services (60%)
large pro-Duterte majorities in both houses of the
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2020.
legislature. Duterte’s term is to end in 2022 as the
Philippine Constitution limits the President to one, six-year
On February 9, 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in
term. The next election is scheduled for May 9, 2022.
a telephone call with Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin
Lorenzana, affirmed the U.S. commitment to the bilateral
Recent Developments
Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and emphasized the value of
On February 10, 2020, the Philippines submitted a “notice
the VFA to the bilateral security relationship. The MDT
of termination” of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces
requires the two countries to help defend each other against
Agreement (VFA), which governs the legal status of U.S.
external armed attack. In a January 27, 2021, phone
military forces operating in the Philippines and establishes
conversation between Secretary of State Antony Blinken
rules by which U.S. troops, vessels, and aircraft may enter
and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro
the country. The Philippine government has twice
Locsin, Jr., Blinken stressed the importance of the MDT
suspended the termination for six months, in June 2020 and
and “its clear application to armed attacks against the
November 2020. If the suspension is not extended again,
Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the
the termination will take effect 69 days after June 1, 2021.
Pacific, which includes the South China Sea.”
Some analysts believe that Duterte intends to leverage the
VFA to negotiate better terms in the security relationship.
The Philippines remains the largest recipient of U.S.
Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in East Asia and a
The Philippine government has reported over 575,000 cases
principal recipient of military assistance under the
of COVID-19 and over 12,000 deaths from the virus. The
Department of Defense (DOD) Indo-Pacific Maritime
first batch of a Chinese-made vaccine arrived on February
Security Initiative. U.S. military personnel and the Armed
28, 2021. The Philippine Food and Drug Administration has
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) collaborate on
also approved the British-Swedish AstraZeneca and U.S.
counterterrorism efforts, regular joint military exercises,
Pfizer vaccines. The U.S. Agency for International
and humanitarian activities. Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-
Development (USAID) has provided $22.6 million in
Shoulder”), the premier annual bilateral exercise, last took
pandemic assistance to the Philippines as of September
place in March 2019 with 7,500 U.S. and Philippine troops
2020.
and a small military contingent from Australia. Balikatan
2020 was cancelled due to health concerns related to the
The Alliance and Defense Relations
COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced
In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who
Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014
steered the Philippines strategically towards the United
and strongly supported by former-President Aquino, allows
States, President Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with
for the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces,
China, the Philippines’ biggest trading partner and a large
ships, and aircraft in the Philippines, although its future
source of foreign investment. However, some of Duterte’s
course is unclear given uncertainties surrounding the VFA.
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The Philippines
Human Rights Concerns
Archipelago called the Bangsamoro Automomous Region
Duterte’s “War on Drugs” has resulted in thousands of
of Muslim Mindanao.
extrajudicial killings, triggering international
U.S. Assistance
condemnation. Drug war-related deaths range from
U.S. assistance to the Philippines, totalling $152.6 million
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency data of nearly 6,000
in FY2020, includes military assistance and programs
to estimates by human rights organizations of over 27,000.
aimed at promoting inclusive socio-economic development,
According to human rights groups, virtually all of the
the rule of law and human rights, and improving family
killings have been carried out without due process, and the
health, basic education, and environmental management. In
vast majority of victims have been unarmed, poor, low-
addition, USAID has committed $63.6 million for
level offenders. They further allege that police have
humanitarian and recovery efforts in Marawi.
collaborated with vigilantes, planted evidence at the scenes
of killings, fabricated reports, and held suspected drug
Since 2016, the U.S. government has suspended assistance
offenders for ransom. Philippine government officials claim
to Philippine National Police units for counternarcotics
that law enforcement personnel have killed drug offenders
activities, although it has increased assistance for maritime
in self-defense during anti-drug operations.
law enforcement, drug demand reduction programs, and
transnational interdiction efforts. The Consolidated
In 2019, there was a rise in extrajudicial killings of leftist
Appropriations Act, FY2021 (P.L. 116-260) mandates that
and human rights activists, mostly carried out by
the Administration submit a report describing steps taken
unidentified assailants believed to be linked to security
by the Government of the Philippines to prosecute armed
forces and government-backed militias. The government
forces personnel who have been involved in extrajudicial
has harassed prominent press figures and publications for
killings, strengthen judicial institutions, and ensure that the
critical coverage of its policies, including journalist Maria
armed forces and paramilitary groups are not engaging in
Ressa, who co-founded the online news site Rappler, and
acts of intimidation or violence against journalists, human
ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ largest broadcasting network.
rights and other social activists.
A Manila court found Ressa guilty of “cyber libel” in June
2020, and the next month, the Philippines House of
Maritime Disputes with China
Representatives voted to reject ABS-CBN’s application to
The Philippines and China have long-standing disputes over
renew its broadcast license.
waters and land features in the South China Sea. Tensions
Separatist and Extremist Movements
have risen sharply since 2012, as China has enlarged and
The Philippines long has battled Muslim armed separatist
placed military assets on several disputed features in the
and terrorist movements on the southern island of
Spratly archipelago, and increasingly interfered with
Mindanao. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which the
Philippine commercial and military activity in its claimed
United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In 2019 and 2020,
in 1997, has carried out hostage-takings for ransom,
Chinese vessels maintained a near-constant flotilla in
killings, and bombings since the early 1990s. Philippine
waters around Thitu Island, the largest Philippine-occupied
military efforts, supported by U.S. assistance, reduced the
feature in the Spratlys.
size of the ASG from 1,000-2,000 militants in the mid-
The Aquino government sought arbitration under the
1990s to an estimated 400 members in the mid-2010s.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
In May 2017, a coalition of Filipino Islamist extremist
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS),
tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine Dash Line” claims
along with dozens of foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi,
have no legal basis. The tribunal also found that China
a provincial capital in Mindanao. With U.S. and other
violated its UNCLOS obligations by blocking Philippine
foreign assistance, the AFP retook the city in October 2017.
access to Scarborough Shoal, interfering with Philippine oil
The conflict resulted in the deaths of nearly 900 militants,
and gas exploration at Reed Bank, and damaging the marine
over 150 Philippine troops and roughly 50 civilians, as well
environment by reclaiming land. China declined to
as the destruction of much of the city.
participate in the proceedings and declared the verdict “null
and void.” The Duterte government has largely ignored the
In 2018, the Department of State added ISIS-Philippines
ruling, although some analysts note that future Philippine
(ISIS-P), a loose collection of groups who had pledged
governments may be more active in seeking international
allegiance to IS, to its list of Foreign Terrorist
support for the judgement, which was widely perceived as
Organizations. The network, now renamed ISIS-East Asia
favorable to the Philippines.
(ISIS-EA), has around 300-500 fighters. Operation Pacific
Eagle-Philippines (OPE-P), a counterterrorism campaign
Duterte suspended U.S.-Philippine joint maritime patrols in
launched by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in
the South China Sea in 2016, although they were resumed
2017, aims to support Philippine efforts in the south. In
two years later. In 2019, the Philippines took part in a joint
2020, DOD committed $85.4 million for OPE-P, in which
patrol in the South China Sea with the navies of the United
around 200 U.S. military personnel serve in advisory roles.
States, Japan, and India.
In 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
Liberation Front, an armed Muslim insurgent group,
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs
reached an agreement that established a new, Muslim-
IF10250
majority administrative area in Mindanao and the Sulu
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The Philippines


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10250 · VERSION 43 · UPDATED

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