evidence: The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines - a key bit of real estate which would offer a front row seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. [...] The US hasn't said where the new bases are but three of them could be on Luzon, an island on the northern edge of the Philippines, the only large piece of land close to Taiwan - if you don't count China. [...] While there won't be as many troops as earlier, Washington now has access to bases facing the South China Sea and Taiwan. Unofficial reports point to options in Cagayan, Zambales, Palawan and Isabela.