The Armed Forces of the Philippines seeks to boost its capability to
secure the Malampaya natural gas platform and oil exploration projects
off Palawan province from terrorist attacks by training with American
troops in their bilateral military exercises.
The latest large-scale joint military exercises between the
Philippines and the United States, dubbed Balikatan, formally opened on
Monday.
Rear Adm. Victor Martir, Balikatan exercise director for the
Philippines, said the combined 6,000-strong forces would take part in 60
training events in Luzon and Palawan until April 27.
He particularly cited the forthcoming training in search-and-rescue operations, and gas and oil platform-security operations.
Amphibious training exercises under Balikatan have been held before
in Palawan, which faces the West Philippine Sea where the Philippines is
locked in an increasingly tense territorial dispute with China over the
Spratly group of islands.
Asked why training exercises were being held in Palawan again, Martir
said the Philippine military wanted to improve on securing Malampaya.
“This is a competency that the Armed Forces would like to improve on.
Now that we have gas and oil platforms, it is the competency that we
would like to enhance,” he told reporters at the opening ceremony held
in Camp Aguinaldo.
9-magnitude quake
Exercise director for the United States, Brigadier General Frederick
Padilla highlighted the tabletop exercise component that would simulate
disaster response in case a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hits Metro Manila.
Martir reiterated that the kind of exercises for this year’s Balikatan were firmed up several months ago.
“The Scarborough (Panatag Shoal) incident and Balikatan are two
separate activities. One is an incident. This is an annual activity that
we hold together with the US Armed Forces,” he said.
Last week, the Philippines sent its biggest warship to Scarborough
Shoal about 230 kilometers west of Luzon where eight Chinese fishing
boats had been seen.
China deployed three vessels to stop Philippine personnel from
arresting the fishermen, and the dispute escalated with both countries
launching protests and trading accusations that the other was violating
their sovereign territory.
While the fishing boats left the shoal over the weekend, both nations
are continuing to assert their sovereignty over the area, which is many
hundreds of kilometers from the nearest major Chinese landmass.
Support for weaker ally
“As we have reiterated every year in our speeches, Balikatan is for
the improvement, enhancement of our combat readiness and our
interoperability as a combined force,” Martir said.
In a speech at the opening ceremony for the exercises in Manila,
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Jessie Dellosa said the
war games highlighted strong US support for its weaker ally.
“Given the international situation we are in, I say that this
exercise, in coordination with all those we had in the past, (is) timely
and mutually beneficial,” Dellosa said.
He said the annual event “reflects the aspirations to further
relations with our strategic ally, a commitment that has to be nurtured
especially in the context of the evolving challenges in the region.”
Competing claims
China and Taiwan claim nearly all of the West Philippine Sea, even
waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and
Malaysia.
The competing claims have for decades made the sea—where there are
shipping routes vital for global trade and which is believed to hold
huge deposits of fossil fuels—a potential flash point for military
conflict.
While diplomatic efforts have kept the dispute from flaring into
violence over recent decades, the Philippines and Vietnam said last year
that China was becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claim to
the sea.
The Philippines accused Chinese vessels of firing warning shots at
Filipino fishermen, harassing an oil exploration vessel and laying
markers in areas close to the Philippine landmass.
The Balikatan exercises are being held as the United States is
rebuilding its military presence across the Asia-Pacific, partly to
counter the growing political, economic and military might of China.
President Aquino said last month he was willing to help the United
States in this context by allowing more joint exercises such as
Balikatan.
‘Cold War mentality’
China has criticized the greater US focus on Asia, with the Chinese
defense ministry describing it as proof of a “Cold War mentality.”
Padilla confirmed on Monday the exercises were part of US President
Barack Obama’s plan to build a stronger military presence in the
Asia-Pacific.
“The President of the United States has stated that it is the desire
of our country to be engaged more in the Pacific region—that includes
working with the Filipino government and the armed forces,” Padilla told
reporters.
But Padilla denied the exercise was meant as a warning to China amid its dispute with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal.
“This exercise is, from our standpoint, not linked to any particular situation,” Padilla said.
Asked if China should be alarmed, US Marine Lieutenant Colonel Curtis
Hill said at a news conference that the exercises would not focus on
any nation as an adversary.
“There is no reason for anyone to feel threatened by us coming
together, working through our interoperabilities so we can better
respond and help people across the region,” Hill said.
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Dona Z. Pazzibugan | Philippine Daily Inquirer | April 17, 2012 | Article Link
