Malacañang on Monday clarified that the Philippines has no American military bases and will not be involved in the conflict between Iran and the United States, despite being a close U.S. ally.

Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro issued the statement following online claims that the Philippines could be drawn into tensions due to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which established sites across the country.

“Patungkol sa sinasabing EDCA site, nagsalita po at aking babasahin mismo ang statements po ng National Security Council (NSC), and I quote, “there are no American military bases in the Philippines. The sites referred to under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) are Philippine military bases that remain under the full ownership, control, and management of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Castro said.

She added that the NSC, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of National Defense (DND), and other agencies, continues to monitor developments in the Middle East.

“At this time, tensions remained confined to the region, and there is no verified direct threat to Philippine territory, including our military facilities. So, we urged the public to remain calm, exercise discernment, and be vigilant against disinformation,” the NSC statement, read by Castro, said.

Castro also read a joint statement from the AFP and DND: “To date, the war remains in the Middle East and there is no direct threat to our territory, even to foreigners that are here in the country.”

“We urge the public to be vigilant against disinformation, and we condemn the spread of fear in such situations. However, DND and the AFP are prepared to respond to possible developments, including possible evacuation support and crisis response coordination for Filipinos in affected countries as needed, based on the situation,” the DND and AFP statement said.

Over the weekend, Iran targeted Middle Eastern countries hosting U.S. military bases, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.