MANILA – Claims that the Philippines could be targeted by Iran due to the presence of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites are “false narratives,” a ranking military official said.

In an interview, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea and Inspector General, said these reports “do not give a clear picture of the situation.”

“Number one, the conflict in the Middle East is regional, involving the Gulf States, Iran, US, and Israel,” he stressed, adding that the Philippines is not a party to the conflict.

Trinidad clarified that EDCA sites are Philippine bases, not American ones, and that activities there are intended to strengthen the defense capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and support humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).

He also noted that Iran’s most powerful missile systems, with an estimated range of around 2,500 km, cannot reach Southeast Asia. Air distance between the Philippines and Iran is roughly 7,182–7,675 km.

“Wala pong katotohanan na ito ay maging target… dahil napakalayo ang kanilang pinakamalakas na missile system, hindi aabot sa Southeast Asia,” Trinidad said.

Signed in 2014, EDCA allows Filipino and US troops to train together and for US forces to build facilities and preposition equipment in strategic Philippine bases. There are nine EDCA sites nationwide, including Cesar Basa Air Base (Pampanga), Fort Magsaysay (Nueva Ecija), Antonio Bautista Air Base (Palawan), Benito Ebuen Air Base (Cebu), and Balabac Island (Palawan).