(UPDATE) 3rd impeachment filed against Aquino

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Protesters filed an impeachment complaint against President Benigno Aquino today over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

It was the third impeachment complaint against Aquino that was filed at the House of Representatives.

The complainants belong to the Makabayan Coalition led by former Congressmen Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casio, and was endorsed by two incumbent legislators.

According to the endorsers, Aquino must be impeached over alleged violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust through the recently signed EDCA.

They said that despite the clear and categorical prohibition of the Constitution, Aquino entered into the EDCA which allegedly allows increased rotational presence of US Troops, increase military exercises, more frequent port calls by US ships and granting to the US military further access to more areas in the Philippines.

The EDCA was signed by the Philippines and US officials in the midst of the territorial disputes with China.

The first two impeachment complaints concerned the implementation of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

While Aquino insisted that DAP is a stimulus program done in good faith to strengthen the economy, the complainant accused him of betraying public trust by exacerbating the corrupt pork barrel system and committing tyrannical abuse of his powers.