The United States and the Philippines are set to sign on Monday a 10-year deal that would allow US military presence back in the country, the Associated Press said, basing its report on a confidential primer it obtained ahead of the signing.

Citing two unnamed official sources and the confidential primer, the AP said the two countries will sign an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement at the Philippine Defense Department in Manila on Monday, ahead of the arrival there of US president Barack Obama.

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The new defense agreement will grant rotating US forces temporary access to military camps where they can position their fighter jets and ships, according to the primer.

It said the positioning of US equipment on Philippine camps would allow for faster deployment in the event of natural disasters and other emergencies.

The defense agreement specifically cited the advantage it would grant Philippine forces in securing the country's territory.

The Philippines have for decades been locked in a territorial dispute with China over ownership of islands in the South China Sea.

The primer on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation deal did not mention exactly how large the incoming US contingent would be, but that it would depend on how large the joint military activities the two countries would engage in, according to the AP.

The agreement took almost a year to finalize as Philippine government negotiators were careful not to enter into a military basing agreement that would violate the Philippine constitution.

Since the Philippine Senate voted to expel US military bases from the country in 1991, the country has since amended its constitution to prevent permanent US military bases from being re-established.

However, under a 1999 treaty that allowed temporary US military visits, Washington had been deploying its forces to the Philippines for joint military exercises and counter-terrorism trainings with Filipino soldiers.

A notable part of the Enhanced Defense Agreement to be signed Monday is the appointment of a Filipino base Commander to the military camps that would be occupied by US forces.

President Obama is expected to announce the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation deal when he arrives in Manila on Monday, the last leg of his four-nation Asian tour that also brought him to Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. 

TagsUS military bases, Defense