Updated June 18, 2024
The Philippines
Overview and Recent Developments
that may be intended to distance herself from Marcos
The United States and the Republic of the Philippines
politically.
maintain a deep relationship that includes a bilateral
security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close
During Marcos’s visit to Washington, DC, in May 2023, the
people-to-people ties, and many shared strategic and
two allies established new Bilateral Defense Guidelines,
economic interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines
which aim to modernize Philippine defense capabilities,
as a colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300
deepen interoperability, enhance bilateral planning and
years of Spanish rule, shaped the relationship. Situated east
information-sharing, and combat transnational and non-
of the South China Sea and south of Taiwan, the
conventional threats. The guidelines appear to reinforce
Philippines has long played an important role in U.S. Asia
treaty obligations, stating that an armed attack “anywhere in
policy as a close security and counterterrorism partner. The
the South China Sea,” on either party’s “armed forces—
1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) requires the two
which includes both nations’ Coast Guards—aircraft, or
countries to help defend each other against external armed
public vessels, would invoke mutual defense commitments”
attack. The 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement governs the
under the MDT.
legal status of U.S. military forces operating in the
Philippines. The Biden Administration has made
Foreign Relations
revitalizing U.S. alliances in Asia—including with the
Unlike former President Duterte, who sought early in his
Philippines—a key pillar of its Indo-Pacific Strategy. The
term to strengthen ties with the PRC, Marcos has reaffirmed
Philippines, the People’s Republic of China (PRC or
the importance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance, while
China), and others have long-standing disputes over waters
seeking to maintain a stable relationship with China. The
and land features in the South China Sea. Rising tensions
Marcos government also has strengthened security relations
between the Philippines and China over maritime claims are
with Australia, Japan, and other U.S. allies. The Philippines
a potential flashpoint in the region.
has a reciprocal access agreement with Australia and is set
to sign one with Japan in July 2024. In April 2024, a U.S.-
The United States is the Philippines’ third-largest trading
Japan-Philippines summit was held in Washington, DC, to
partner, after China and Japan, and its largest export
promote trilateral cooperation in multiple areas, including
market. The Philippines is one of 14 members of the Indo-
security, infrastructure investment in the Philippines, joint
Pacific Economic Framework Initiative, which the
technology development, and reducing greenhouse gas
Administration launched in May 2022.
emissions.
Figure 1. The Philippines at a Glance
The Philippines is the largest recipient of U.S. military
assistance in the East Asia-Pacific region, including Foreign
Military Financing and assistance under the Department of
Defense’s (DOD’s) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security
Initiative. U.S. military and Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) personnel conduct regular joint military
exercises and maritime patrols, collaborate on
counterterrorism, and carry out humanitarian activities. In
2024, over 16,000 primarily U.S. and AFP soldiers
participated in “Balikatan” (“Shoulder-to-Shoulder”), the
alliance’s premier annual bilateral exercise, in the
Philippines. Smaller contingents of Australian and French
troops also participated. For the first time, military drills
focused on maritime security took place outside the
Philippines’ “territorial waters” (12 nautical miles)—in the

Ferdinand “Bongbong” M
country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone
arcos Jr. was elected president of
(EEZ), challenging China’s claims in the South China Sea.
the Philippines in 2022. Marcos’s father, Ferdinand Marcos
Sr., ruled the country from 1965 to 1986, including through
In 2014, the U.S. and Philippine governments signed the
martial law from 1972 until he was ousted by the 1986
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), 22
People Power Revolution. Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of
years after the U.S. military withdrew from Clark Air Base
former President Rodrigo Duterte (in office 2016-2022),
and Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines. EDCA allows
won the vice presidency. The Philippine constitution limits
for the rotational presence of U.S. military forces, aircraft,
both the president and vice president, who are elected on
and ships at agreed locations in the Philippines. The 1987
separate tickets, to one six-year term. In June 2024,
Constitution of the Philippines prohibits the establishment
Duterte-Carpio resigned from the Marcos cabinet, a move
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The Philippines
of foreign military bases in the country. In February 2023,
attempting to conduct resupply missions to Second Thomas
the two sides agreed to increase the number of Philippine
(“Ayungin”) Shoal in the Spratly Islands chain. The
military bases open to U.S. forces from five to nine,
Philippines posts a small cadre of its marines on a now-
including two across the Luzon Strait from Taiwan and two
derelict Philippine Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre,
facing disputed maritime features in the South China Sea.
which it grounded on the shoal in 1999 as part of its efforts
to assert its maritime claims. In 2023, PRC harassment
Human Rights Concerns
resulted in two collisions between PRC and Philippine
Human rights challenges in the Philippines include
vessels. In June 2024, PRC Coast Guard vessels reportedly
extrajudicial killings carried out by the military and police,
collided with and boarded two Philippine boats attempting
lack of protections for press freedom and the safety of
to resupply the Sierra Madre; one Filipino reportedly was
journalists, a weak judicial system, and government
injured. The Department of State issued a statement
corruption. In 2020, a Philippine court found Maria Ressa,
condemning “the escalatory and irresponsible actions by the
later a co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, who had
[PRC] to deny the Philippines from lawfully delivering
reported critically on the Duterte administration’s “War on
humanitarian supplies to service members stationed at the
Drugs,” guilty of “cyber libel.” Ressa remains on bail as she
BRP Sierra Madre on June 17.”
appeals her case to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
The Aquino government (2010-2016) sought arbitration
The Department of State, in a report that it updated
under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2023
(UNCLOS) against aspects of China’s claims and assertive
(P.L. 117-328, Section 7019(e)), stated that the AFP “has
made progress on human rights,” although “some AFP
behavior in the South China Sea. In 2016, an UNCLOS
tribunal concluded, among other findings, that China’s
personnel, particularly those acting outside the chain of
maritime territorial claims based on “historical rights” have
command, commit human rights abuses and violations.”
no basis in international law. China did not participate in
Former President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs
the proceedings and declared the verdict “null and void.”
resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, triggering
international condemnation. Estimates of drug war-related
Separatist and Terrorist Movements
deaths range from 6,200 to over 30,000. Human rights
The Philippines has long battled Muslim armed separatist
groups report that virtually all of the killings, which were
and terrorist groups on the southern island of Mindanao.
carried out by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and
The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which the United States
armed vigilantes, occurred without due process, and the
designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in
vast majority of victims were unarmed, poor, low-level
1997, carried out hostage-takings for ransom, killings, and
offenders. President Marcos stated that he would continue
bombings since the early 1990s. In 2017, a coalition of
the anti-drug campaign “within the framework of the law
Filipino militant groups that had pledged allegiance to the
and with respect for human rights.” Some human rights
Islamic State, known as ISIS-Philippines, along with
groups allege that extrajudicial killings related to anti-drug
dozens of foreign fighters, captured Marawi, a provincial
operations have continued under Marcos.
capital in Mindanao. With U.S. and other foreign
U.S. Assistance and Restrictions
assistance, the AFP retook the city five months later. In
2018, the State Department added ISIS-Philippines
Department of State and U.S. Agency for International
(renamed ISIS-East Asia in 2020) to the FTO list. The U.S.
Development (USAID) assistance to the Philippines totaled
military has provided noncombat support for
an estimated $169.5 million in FY2023. It included military
counterterrorism efforts in the southern Philippines since
aid and programs aimed at promoting inclusive economic
2002. By 2023, the AFP reportedly had reduced the number
development, the rule of law and human rights, and family
of ASG fighters to under 100. The AFP has significantly
health, basic education, and environmental management.
weakened the Communist Party of the Philippines and its
Since 2016, the U.S. government has suspended
military arm, the New People’s Army, both of which are on
counternarcotics assistance to the Philippines, except for
the State Department’s FTO list.
drug demand reduction, maritime law enforcement, or
transnational interdiction. (See Further Consolidated
In 2018, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic
Appropriations Act, 2024 [P.L. 118-47, Division F, Section
Liberation Front, an armed separatist group, agreed to
7043(h)].)
establish a new Muslim-majority administrative area in
South China Sea
Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago called the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). An
Tensions between the Philippines and China over disputed
election for the BARMM parliament is scheduled for 2025.
waters and land features in the South China Sea have risen
since 2012, as China has enlarged and placed military assets
See also CRS In Focus IF12550, China-Philippines
on several disputed features in the Spratly archipelago, and
Tensions in the South China Sea, and CRS In Focus
interfered with Philippine commercial and military activity
IF10607, China Primer: South China Sea Disputes.
in the Philippines’ EEZ. Since 2019, PRC vessels have
regularly massed around Philippine-occupied land features
and have harassed Philippine fishing and coastguard vessels
Thomas Lum, Specialist in Asian Affairs
in the Philippines’ EEZ.
Ben Dolven, Specialist in Asian Affairs
Since 2023, PRC Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels
IF10250
have escalated their interference with Philippine boats


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The Philippines


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10250 · VERSION 52 · UPDATED

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