The revelation came amid worries about the reported surge of Chinese students’ presence in the area, given that there are now two Filipino military stations in Cagayan where American troops have been given access.
“It seems that Chinese students in Cagayan universities and colleges are said to have been paying P2 million to obtain degrees,” Cabalza told INQUIRER.net in a text message, citing the stories of locals in the province.
“According to reports, many of these students are not attending classes,” said the founder of think tank International Development and Security Cooperation.
In April 2023, Marcos allowed the United States access to four more Philippine military bases under the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which allows Washington to store equipment and their troops in the complexes.
Two of the newly-approved Edca sites are located in Cagayan, which is relatively near Taiwan.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island regarded by China as a renegade province subject to reunification.
The new Edca sites irked Beijing, stressing that the agreement was made so that Washington could “encircle and contain China.”
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