Philippine Supreme Court Declares Military Deal with US Constitutional

MANILA: The Philippine Supreme Court today declared a security deal with the United States constitutional, allowing an increased US military presence in its former colony as tensions rise in the South China Sea.

Manila has long been a staunch US ally and the pact is widely seen as important for both as the Philippines confronts an assertive China in the disputed Spratly archipelago and Washington launches a "pivot" back to Asia.

Voting 10-4, the 15-member court denied the petition of some lawmakers and activists to declare the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) unconstitutional because it surrendered Philippine sovereignty to a foreign power.