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Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega attempted to downplay the damage during a palace press briefing on Saturday, insisting there was still room to negotiate.
“We’re still talking to the Americans about that,” he said, adding that the freeze was still temporary.
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He also argued a stoppage in help from Washington would not “severely affect us” because the Philippines still has the financial support of other allies.
De Vega also stressed that, despite the suspension, operations at the nine existing EDCA sites – military facilities jointly used by US forces in the country authorised by the 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) – will in “no way” be affected.