Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba on Wednesday refused to allow the entry of American soldiers into the province, which would be the location of two Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

During a Senate hearing discussing the four additional EDCA sites, Mamba said Cagayan does not want to be involved in a war.

“Nobody, no one wins in war. The solution to regional tension is not military. Solutions to regional tensions will only end badly for us who are not involved in this show of might between two superpowers. The only military forces we want in Cagayan are the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Mamba told lawmakers.

“The only international currency Cagayan can offer to any nation is friendship and the only engagement we want with our neighbors is trade. I believe that our strength is in our capacity to be a friend to everyone and foe to no one,” he added.

Mamba revealed he only learned that EDCA sites would be established in Cagayan through newspapers and social media.

“I was never formally informed of having EDCA sites in Cagayan. I never consulted our people yet because I was not formally informed yet,” he said.

He said Cagayan did not receive aid from the United States (US) when it was struck by two typhoons in 2016 and 2018.

“I never saw an American. I never saw goods from America…That is why I said that I do not believe that this is humanitarian in nature or help for us,” Mamba told the hearing.

“China needs us and we need them too, including that of Taiwan, including that of South Korea, including that of Japan…We were having a hard time and we have not seen any American who tried to help us here,” he added.

Mamba maintained that he does not want any foreign military to be staying in the province.

“No foreign forces in Cagayan. That’s all. We will have sleepless nights. We are the nearest. We will be hit no matter what happens,” he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS