Plans to renovate an air base near Manila, enabling Philippine fighter jets to respond quickly to any Chinese moves in the disputed South China Sea, may face delays due to a spending ban before general elections, a senior official said on Friday.
New fighter jets and two frigates are to be stationed at the former U.S. naval facility in Subic Bay northwest of the capital from early next year, the first time the massive installation will have functioned as a military base in 23 years.
Subic Bay's deep-water harbor lies on the western side of the main Philippine island of Luzon, opposite the South China Sea, and is about 130 nautical miles (240 km) from Scarborough Shoal, a rocky outcrop China seized control of in 2012.