Updated August 17, 2021
The Philippines
Overview
garner major infrastructure investment from Beijing have
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines have
been unsuccessful, and the Philippines has intensified its
a deep relationship that includes a bilateral security
alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to-
efforts to protest Chinese incursions into disputed areas of
people ties, and many shared strategic and economic
the South China Sea that Manila considers to be part of its
interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines as a
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Philippines has
colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of
expanded its sources of foreign military assistance from
Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Public opinion
beyond the United States, including from U.S. allies and
surveys indicate that support for the U.S.-Philippines
strategic partners Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea,
relationship is strong among Filipinos.
as well as from China and Russia.
President Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, remains popular
Figure 1. The Philippines at a Glance
domestically, according to opinion polls. Duterte’s overall
approval rating is high despite his violent anti-drug
campaign, an economic downturn caused by the
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and
some controversial foreign policy stances, including
reducing Philippine dependence on the United States and
developing deeper ties with China. There are large Duterte-
aligned majorities in both chambers of the legislature.
Recent Developments
On July 30, 2021, Philippine Secretary of National Defense
Delfin Lorenzana announced that the Philippines had
agreed to re-commit to the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces

Agreement (VFA), which governs the legal status of U.S.
Source: Map, CRS. Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook,
military forces operating in the Philippines and establishes
2021.
rules by which U.S. troops, vessels, and aircraft may enter
the country. The move reversed a February 2020 decision in
On July 30, 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met
which the Philippines sought to terminate the agreement.
with Philippine Defense Secretary Lorenzana, reaffirming
the U.S. commitment to the bilateral Mutual Defense Treaty
The Philippine Constitution limits the President to one, six-
(MDT) and emphasizing the value of the VFA to the
year term. Preparations for the next Presidential election,
bilateral security relationship, supporting more than 300
scheduled for May 2022, have begun. In July 2021, Duterte
annual joint military engagements. The MDT requires the
said he is “seriously thinking” of running for Vice-
two countries to help defend each other against external
President, sparking speculation he could be part of a future
armed attack, and Biden Administration officials have
administration. (The Philippine President and Vice-
stated that the MDT applies to armed attacks against the
President are elected separately and may be from different
Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the
political parties.) A wide range of presidential candidates
South China Sea.
have expressed interest in running.
The Philippines remains the largest recipient of U.S.
As of mid-August 2021, the World Health Organization
Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in East Asia and was a
reported approximately 1.6 million COVID-19 cases in the
principal recipient of assistance under the Department of
Philippines, and 28,000 deaths. About 11% of the
Defense’s Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative (2016-
population was fully vaccinated. On July 30, the
2021). U.S. military personnel and the Armed Forces of the
government reimposed lockdown measures in the Manila
Philippines (AFP) hold regular bilateral military exercises
metropolitan area. Most vaccines, both purchased and
and maritime patrols, collaborate on counterterrorism
donated, have come from China and the United States.
efforts, and conduct joint humanitarian activities. A scaled-
The Alliance and Defense Relations
down version of Balikatan (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”), the
premier annual bilateral military exercise, took place in
President Duterte has expressed distrust in the United States
March 2021 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19
and sought to strengthen ties with China, the Philippines’
pandemic.
leading trade partner and a large source of foreign
investment. However, some of Duterte’s ambitions to
Duterte suspended U.S.-Philippine joint maritime patrols in
the South China Sea in 2016, although they were resumed
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The Philippines
two years later. In 2019, the Philippines took part in a joint
Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines (OPE-P) provided
patrol in the South China Sea with the navies of the United
counterterrorism support.
States, Japan, and India. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced
Defense Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2014, allows for
In 2018, the Duterte government and the Moro Islamic
the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces,
Liberation Front, an armed Muslim separatist group,
ships, and aircraft in the Philippines, although Duterte has
reached an agreement to establish a new Muslim-majority
been skeptical of expanding the U.S. presence in the
administrative area in Mindanao and Sulu called the
Philippines.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
Many observers expect the new political arrangement to
Human Rights Concerns
result in the disarmament of militants and the growth of
Since 2016, Duterte’s “War on Drugs” has resulted in
investment in the historically poor region, although
thousands of extrajudicial killings, triggering international
COVID-19 restrictions have impeded progress.
condemnation. Estimates of drug war-related deaths range
U.S. Assistance
from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency figures of
Department of State and U.S. Agency for International
roughly 6,000 to counts by human rights organizations of
Development (USAID) assistance to the Philippines,
over 27,000. According to human rights groups, virtually
totaling $154.9 million in FY2021, includes military aid
all of the killings, which have been carried out by police
and programs aimed at promoting inclusive socio-economic
and armed vigilantes, occurred without due process, and the
development, the rule of law and human rights, and family
vast majority of victims have been unarmed, poor, low-
health, basic education, and environmental management.
level offenders.
USAID has provided $22.6 million in pandemic assistance
Duterte and his allies have retaliated against some
to the Philippines as of July 2021. In addition, USAID has
government critics. In 2017, Philippine authorities arrested
committed $63.6 million for humanitarian and recovery
Senator Leila De Lima, who has spoken out against the
efforts in Marawi.
drug war, on charges that she had accepted money from
Since 2016, the U.S. government has suspended
drug lords while she was Justice Secretary. In June 2020,
counternarcotics assistance to Philippine National Police
journalist Maria Ressa, founder of the online news site
units. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2021 (P.L.
Rappler, which has reported critically on the drug war, was
116-260) mandates that the Administration submit a report
found guilty of “cyber libel.” Many observers view both
describing steps taken by the Philippines to prosecute
cases as politically motivated. In July 2020, the Philippine
armed forces personnel who have been involved in
House of Representatives voted not to renew the broadcast
extrajudicial killings, strengthen judicial institutions, and
license of ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ largest broadcasting
ensure that the armed forces and paramilitary groups are not
network, which had been a major source of critical
engaging in acts of intimidation or violence against
reporting on the anti-drug campaign. Also that month, the
journalists, human rights, and other social activists.
Philippines enacted a new Anti-Terrorism Law that
observers say contains broad and vague provisions that the
Maritime Disputes with China
government can use arbitrarily to target political opponents
The Philippines and China have long-standing disputes over
and silence dissent. In 2019 and 2020, extrajudicial killings
waters and land features in the South China Sea. Tensions
of leftist and human rights activists increased, reportedly
have risen sharply since 2012, as China has enlarged and
often carried out by unidentified assailants linked to
placed military assets on several disputed features in the
security forces and government-backed militias.
Spratly archipelago, and increasingly interfered with
Philippine commercial and military activity in its claimed
Separatist and Extremist Movements
EEZ. Since 2019, flotillas of Chinese vessels have regularly
The Philippines has long battled Muslim armed separatist
massed around Philippine-occupied land features, and in
and terrorist groups on the southern island of Mindanao.
2019, a Chinese vessel sank a Philippine fishing boat in
The Abu Sayyaf Group, which the United States designated
disputed waters.
as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997, has carried out
hostage-takings for ransom, killings, and bombings since
The Aquino government (2010-2016) sought arbitration
the early 1990s. In May 2017, a coalition of Filipino
under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
militant groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic
State (IS), known as ISIS-Philippines, along with dozens of
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
foreign fighters, laid siege to Marawi, a provincial capital in
tribunal concluded that China’s “Nine Dash Line” claims
Mindanao. With U.S. and other foreign assistance, the AFP
have no legal basis. The tribunal also found that China
retook the city in October 2017. The conflict resulted in the
violated its UNCLOS obligations by blocking Philippine
deaths of nearly 900 militants, over 150 Philippine troops
access to Scarborough Shoal, interfering with Philippine oil
and roughly 50 civilians, as well as the destruction of much
and gas exploration at Reed Bank, and damaging the marine
of the city. In 2018, the Department of State added ISIS-
environment by reclaiming land. China declined to
Philippines to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
participate in the proceedings and declared the verdict “null
and void.”
The network, now renamed ISIS-East Asia (ISIS-EA), has
The Duterte government has largely ignored the
around 300-500 fighters, and continues to conduct sporadic
ruling, although some analysts note that future Philippine
attacks in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. Between
governments may be more active in seeking international
2017 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense’s
support for the judgement.
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 44 · UPDATED

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