Philippine Military to acquire 2 more ships

The Philippines is planning to acquire two more ships to boost the maritime security capabilities of its military, one of the most poorly-equipped in the region.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista told the ABS-CBN News Channel Wednesday that the military needs to purchase about six naval vessels.
            
“Ideally we need about six (ships)… That’s part of the plan. In fact we are (conducting) bidding for two frigates so we will acquire them in a couple of years,” the military chief said.

“We realized that there is a real threat out there in terms of securing, defending our territory. We need to be very conscious about that," he added.

The Philippines has acquired two frigates from the United States (US) namely the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which arrived in the country in 2011 and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, which became part of the Navy inventory last year. The two ships are part of Washington’s excess defense articles program and are now patrolling the country’s territorial waters. 

The bidding for two more ships worth P18 billion is underway. The STAR earlier reported that at least four companies have qualified to enter the next stage of the bidding.

These companies are Navantia Sepi (RTR Ventures) of Spain, and South Korean firms STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., and Hyundai Heavy Industries Inc.

The second stage of the bidding will involve the opening of financial proposals and technical documents. This phase will determine if the bidders’ offers are within the approved budget of P18 billion and if their ships comply with the specifications provided in the bid documents.

Security officials will soon thresh out details of the acquisition of two other vessels. 

Bautista, however, said other maritime security equipment will be purchased through the $40-million military aid announced by US State Secretary John Kerry when he visited the Philippines last month.

He said among the items to be prioritized are radars, maritime patrol aircraft and patrol ships.

The US assistance aims to improve the Philippines’ maritime security and domain awareness amid recent aggressive actions by China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The grant will be spent over three years and will be under the US Global Security Contingency Fund.

“We are upgrading our capabilities to address all our mandates, internal security, defending our territory, and also helping in disaster relief and rescue operations,” Bautista said.

A total of P41.2-billion worth of military upgrade projects have been completed and awarded during the first three years of the Aquino administration, according to the Defense department.

The amount represents 36 projects that were spread out to the Armed Forces General Headquarters, the Government Arsenal and the three major services namely the Army, the Air Force and the Navy.

A total of 16 Navy projects worth P5.3-billion have been completed including the acquisition of frigates BRP Alcaraz and BRP del Pilar and three naval helicopters worth P1.34-billion.

The Navy is expecting the delivery of P6.4-billion worth of equipment including the strategic sealift vessels, additional naval helicopters and amphibious vehicles.

Article Source: The Philippine Star

China preparing to seize Pag-asa Island

The Chinese Navy has drawn up a detailed plan to seize this year the Philippines’ Pag-asa Island in a battle that will be restricted in the South China Sea, according to a Chinese news network.

A report of business and strategy news platform Qianzhan (Prospects) in Mandarin was translated by English news site China Daily Mail and titled “Chinese troops will seize Pag-asa Island, which is called by China Zhongye, back from the Philippines in 2014.”

The report said the Philippines is so arrogant as to announce in the New Year that it will increase its navy and air force deployment at Pag-asa Island which is part of the disputed Spratly Islands.

“According to experts, the Chinese Navy has drawn a detailed combat plan to seize the island and the battle will be restricted within the South China Sea. The battle is aimed at recovery of the island stolen by the Philippines from China,” the report said.

The Philippines’ arrogance, the report said, is an intolerable insult to China.

“There will be no invasion into Filipino territories,” the report said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) declined to comment on the report.

“We don’t comment on news articles that have unnamed and unofficial sources,” said DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez.

The Department of National Defense would have to validate the report about China’s supposed plan to seize Pag-asa Island, defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said.

Military officials declined to comment, saying the DFA is the agency authorized to speak on the matter.

China’s plan to invade Pag-asa Island could be part of Beijing’s 20-year expansion plan for its navy to have total dominance of the disputed Spratlys archipelago, security documents showed.

The document also showed that China’s plan was conceived 14 years ago following Beijing’s illegal occupation of Panganiban (Mishchief) Reef, some 130 nautical miles off Hulugan Bay in mainland Palawan and only 97 nautical miles east of Pag-asa Island.

“China has four to five years left to complete the plan,” an informed security official said, adding that it is already an open secret among Spratly claimant countries – the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan – that China has established a forward naval station at Panganiban Reef.

International defense analyst Greg Polling of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Southeast Asia Program, had warned two years ago that China has been rushing the construction of several warships specifically designed for its Spratlys naval operations.

Some of these warships that China has been building include hovercrafts capable of carrying one battalion of Marines and four tanks.

Several hovercraft units have already been completed and are just awaiting deployment after several sea trials.

China’s hovercraft project has reportedly solved the People Liberation Army’s problem of transporting warships directly into shallow waters surrounded by coral reefs, shoals and islets occupied by troops of other Spratly claimant countries.

Aside from Panganiban Reef, China has built another naval facility at Subi Reef where its transport ship has regularly been sighted. 

Article Source: The Philippine Star

Philippine Military to start second phase of IPSP ‘Bayanihan’

The second phase of the military’s internal peace and security plan (IPSP) “Bayanihan” will start this year with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressing optimism that the target end of armed struggle will be met by 2016.

AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said that the 120,000-strong military will start its gradual transition to territorial defense and other mandated tasks this year as part of the second phase of IPSP “Bayanihan” from 2014 to 2016.

“We will complete our targets under ‘Bayanihan’ for the next three years…second half, we will sustain the gains and hopefully before 2016…there will be no more violence, no more conflict, no more armed struggle,” Bautista said.

“2014, we will start the transition…we will initiate already (the transition), gradual transition, handing over to the appropriate agencies of government the peace and security and preparing for our other mandates like territorial defense, even addressing climate change,” he added.

The AFP chief said that the gradual transition is anchored on the modernization program of the AFP.
The IPS “Bayanihan” was launched in 2011 and aimed at rendering the insurgency problem in the country to insignificant level by 2016.

According to Bautista, the military has gained so much against the insurgents during the initial phase of “Bayanihan.” Many provinces previously influenced by communist insurgents were declared areas ready for development after ridding them with the rebels.

“We will sustain the ‘Bayanihan.’ It’s more of an appeal to our people to end all internal conflict because there are more pressing concerns, urgent concerns that we need to address,” said Bautista.

The AFP chief cited the devastation brought about by super typhoon “Yolanda” last November where the military served as first responder during the calamity. He also mentioned the ongoing dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

“We are witness to ‘Yoalnda,’ climate change, we are witness to our problems in the West Philippine Sea and many more which call for us as people to be cohesive, to be focused on problems that we face as a people,” Bautista said.

“So, it is imperative for us to join hands in finally ending internal conflict. We are now in modern times, insurgencies are for Jurassic era,” he added.

Bautista said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) should now realize that the Filipinos do not want armed struggle.

“I hope they see the writing on the wall that the Filipino people desires peace, prosperity that all of us will enjoy,” he said.

Article Source: The Daily Tribune

US Boosts Support for Philippines Security Forces

The United States will provide the Philippines' security forces with $40 million in new assistance in part to help the country protect its territorial waters amid rising tensions with Chinaover disputes in the South China Sea, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday while urging all the nations involved to "lower the intensity."

The money, from a U.S. program known as the Global Security Contingency Fund, will be spent over three years and will be split between improving the Philippines Coast Guard's maritime security abilities and boosting counterterrorism capacity for the Philippines National Police in the nation's restive southern islands, where Washington has also backed a decade-long campaign against al-Qaida-linked local militants.

The new aid is intended to complement a $32.5 million assistance package, which Kerry announced Monday in Vietnam, that will help southeast Asian nations protect their territorial waters. Up to $18 million of that money will go to provide the Vietnamese Coast Guard with five new fast patrol boats.

More of the Article

DND, AFP officials tackle internal, territorial security threats

CEBU CITY, Philippines  – Top guns of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assembled here on Friday for a closed-door conference to tackle the country’s internal and territorial security threats.

The mounting tension in the country’s territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) was foremost in the agenda.

Dubbed as Commanders’ Forum and Midyear Assessment held in the tightly guarded MIP Lounge of Mactan International Airport, the daylong conference hosted by the AFP’s Central Command was presided by AFP chief of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa.

Only the three major service commanders, unified commanders and the AFP Joint Staff were allowed to attend.

The conference with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin as guest speaker was aimed at setting parameters on international security operations.

“The AFP aims to lay down a yardstick on its internal security operations in line with the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan,” AFP spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos Jr. said.

Burgos said that wide-ranging topics were discussed, including an update on the country’s territorial defense as well as the AFP ongoing capability upgrade program.

Administrative matters such as the continuing adherence to reform initiatives in AFP procurement, resource allocation and management, peacekeeping operations and information technology systems to enhance campaign execution and directives dissemination, were also taken up.

Burgos said Dellosa stressed the importance of addressing the internal armed threats soonest in lieu of the security developments in the West Philippine Sea.

The STAR, however, learned that Western Command (Wescom) chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban discussed before his peers and other top defense and military leaders the prevailing security situation in the West Philippine Sea brought about by the aggressive behavior of China in laying its claim of the entire South China Sea as an integral part of its maritime domain.

Aside from territorial and internal security, topics also tackled were the military’s capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster response considering the country’s geo-hazard risks and vulnerability to man-made and natural calamities.

Gazmin informed military commanders that his department is doing its priority upgrade programs to address many security challenges that the country is facing.

“At the end of the conference, the participants came to a consensual agreement on the appropriate directives and plans for successful implementation of new and refined policies vital in resolving all pressing security issues,” Burgos said.

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Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | July 22, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine Air force eyeing new bases

LIPA, BATANGAS -- The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is eyeing the establishment of additional bases within the next two to three years as focus will be shifted to territorial defense, an official said on Friday.

"A strategic recasting" towards territorial defense will require "the drawing of new basing and relocation plans… the remapping of stations," said Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino G. Dela Cruz, PAF commanding general, during the anniversary celebration of the service command.

Col. Miguel Ernesto G. Okol, PAF spokesperson, said on the sidelines of the PAF’s 65 ^th anniversary, that Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City has been "initially identified" as a potential site for a new base.

The PAF currently has eight air bases, namely, Clark, Basa, Col. Jesus Villamor, Danilo Atienza, Fernando, and Antonio Bautista in Luzon; Mactan Benito Ebuen in Visayas; and Edwin Andrews in Mindanao.

The new bases will "meet the challenges of a rapidly changing threat environment," said Mr. Dela Cruz.

Meanwhile, Mr. Okol said air force personnel will be relocated from the Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite to make way for civil aviation.

The Manila International Airport Authority has previously proposed to move the entire general aviation section to other sites, including the former US Naval Station in Sangley Point, in Cavite province. The transfer is aimed at decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which shares a runway with the air force main headquarters in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.

As this developed, the PAF anniversary celebration saw the revival of the fly-by -- a parade, and acrobatics presentation of around 40 air assets -- which was last held 15 years ago.

"We are reliving this golden tradition of the PAF… as we are the air force, we should be flying," Mr. Okol said in a separate statement.

"This also signals that we are regaining our strength and will soon be a potent force in our defense and security operations," he added.

Once a leading force in the region, the country’s air unit had been struggling with an ageing fleet.

But the administration has been consistent in "acquiring new and potent replacements for our old and unreliable air assets," said Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin in his remarks during the celebrations.

"We are now very determined in our intention to modernize," he added.

The department has targeted to approve 138 modernization projects by the end of July, including three radars systems, 21 utility helicopters, 10 attack helicopters, four additional search-and-rescue helicopters, two long-range patrol aircraft, a special mission aircraft, three medium-lift aircraft and 12 lead-in fighters. These are expected to boost the air power in the next two years.

"We need to have potent and reliable air platforms for our air skippers and crew to operate and fly," Mr. Gazmin said.

The government has been building up its defense posture in light of territorial disputes in the West Philippines Sea, a resource-rich area claimed in part or wholly by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The area also groups the Scarborough Shoal west of Luzon, a small reef that is within the country’s exclusive economic zone but is also contested by China.

 

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Maria Francesca Ramos | Business World Online | July 8, 2012 | Article Link

Muslim Lawmaker Urges Aquino Gov’t To Hasten AFP Modernization Program

SULU, Philippines --- A Muslim legislator from Sulu province has urged President Benigno S. Aquino III to hasten the implementation of the Philippine military modernization program, and allocate the needed funds to meet the financial requirement of the program – partially or in full in order to address external threat to the country.

In a privilege speech he delivered at the House of Representatives recently, Congressman Habib Tupay Loong (1st District, Sulu) said that “I stand today before this August Body, Mr. Speaker, on matter of personal and collective privilege on the issue of threat to national security, which this country is now facing.”

Loong said that the Aquino administration must now hasten the implementation of the country’s military modernization program to prepare the nation for any foreign encroachment to the Philippine territory.

It is sad to note that this threat to national security does not come alone from internal instability, but also from external forces, which might plunge this country into chaos and destruction, should it happened, he lamented.

“And today, China is threatening us with war as it sent its strong naval force to occupy and claim our territory of Panatag (Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough) shoal in the west Philippine Sea,” he claimed.

Based on reports he received, he said that there were five Chinese government vessels, and 16 Chinese fishing boats, 10 of which were inside the lagoon, while six were outside on May 21.

In addition, he said there were 56 utility boats, 27 of which were inside the lagoon and 29 were outside.

On Tuesday, there were still 16 Chinese fishing vessels and the number of utility boats went up to 76.

Loong added that the nation is now faced with another problem – the problem of imminent danger of external threat to our nation from China in regards to our claim to the Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Loong said he hopes that no untoward incident will result out of this impasse, which may probably bring us into armed confrontation with China, “a confrontation which we surely do not want.”

More so, Loong said “we cannot afford to fight a war in many fronts, a war against the Bangsa Moro rebels and extremists, a war against the Communist New People’s Army, and a war against superpower China.”

As this developed, he urged the national government to sign in the soonest possible time a peace accord with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in order for the military to limit its focus to the country’s external threat.

“With the resolution of our internal problems of rebellion, we should be able to focus on strengthening our military capability through the immediate implementation of the AFP modernization program,” he said.

The move, Loong said, will also show to the world that the Philippines, even if it is a small nation, is willing to face any foreign forces, big or small, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had earlier reported that there is an increasing number, and pattern of Chinese government and fishing vessels in the disputed area.

China, on the other hand, has confirmed that it has sent government service ships to the disputed Panatag (Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough) Shoal to provide service and administration of Chinese fishing boats, as well as perform guard, management, and control duties in the area.

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Nonoy Lacson | Manila Bulletin | May 27, 2012 | Article Link

Hybrid battalions in the works for AFP

MANILA, Philippines—The military looks to have “hybrid” battalions in the future, as a pilot case combining reservists and militiamen with regular soldiers in an Army battalion has worked out well.

 

The Army’s reclassified 24th Infantry Battalion under the 7th Infantry Division has passed the Army’s technical evaluation with flying colors after a year in operation.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Samson, commander of the military’s first “territorial battalion,” said the successful pilot test might mean the setup would be replicated in other units.

“We hope that since the first-ever territorial battalion gained positive evaluation from our technical working group, this undertaking by the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be expanded to other peaceful and development-ready areas like Zambales,” Samson said.

The 24IB was reclassified last May 1, 2011, as a territorial battalion to integrate reservists and Cafgu [Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Units] active auxiliary (CAA) paramilitary troops, whose task is to conduct civil military operations (CMO) and other support missions.

Aside from the regular soldiers, Samson’s battalion has 16 reservist officers, 121 reservist enlisted personnel and 334 CAA personnel who all come from the area.

Evaluators from the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio found that the fusion of reservists and CAA personnel to the regular members of the 24IB has increased the number of effective CMO activities in the area.

CMO activities refer to community services including disaster rescue and relief operations.

The added manpower, meanwhile, allowed soldiers in the active service to conduct “focused and deliberate combat operations” against insurgents and other armed groups.

The Army has turned to reservists and paramilitary troops as “force multiplier” due to the deficiency in the number of ground troops.

Launched on December 20, 2010, the concept of integrating Army reserve and active components in selected units was seen as a solution to “low personnel fill-up.”

The setup is said to be the brainchild of Army chief Lieutenant General Emmanuel Bautista when he was still the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations (J3).

AFP Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa recently directed the AFP Reserve Command to give priority to the development of reservists as territorial forces.

He said community-based military reservists serve as the backbone of first responders during calamities.

“I hope that this success can be replicated in other battalions in every part of the country,” Dellosa said in a statement.

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Dona Z. Pazzibugan | Philippine Daily Inquirer | May 6, 2012 | Article Link

Only a modernized military can stop China bullying: Philippine defense chief

MANILA, Philippines - Only a modernized military can stop China from bullying the Philippines over the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and other disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Tuesday.

Gazmin said the government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (AFP) has been exhausting all means for a peaceful resolution and enforcement of maritime laws but China has remained uncooperative.

“Well, the third option is a credible deterrence: upgrade the capability of our Armed Forces. But again, this is not directed towards to China or any of the countries in the region; this is for our protection to make sure that our laws are enforced and we are able to protect our territorial waters,” Gazmin said.

The commander of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, visited Monday the officers and crew of the Philippine’s biggest warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, currently on dock and waiting for mission order from higher-ups at the Poro Point in La Union.

“It was just a normal visit to our troops in that area especially our Navy men assigned at the BRP del Pilar. I just relayed to them orders from higher-ups and I’m not at liberty to divulge it to the media because it’s all operational,” Alcantara said.

Gazmin lamented that China seems to prefer bullying its neighbors such as the Philippines rather than resolve the issue lawfully and legally under given laws such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Panatag Shoal is about 165 nautical miles of Zambales province and situated well within the 200-nautical-mile (UNCLOS provision) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

“We cannot resolve this on the basis of the UNCLOS if one party (China) did not want to cooperate and face the international court of justice. As far as we are concerned, we are always ready and pushing for this but they (China) don’t like it.  Their (China) only basis of claiming the area is ‘history’,” Gazmin said.

The volatile situation at the Panatag Shoal is far from over after the two maritime surveillance vessels (84 and 71) of China returned to the area last Sunday and was joined by another fishing vessel Monday.

Two ships of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and MY Sarangani, a private ship manned by a French team conducting archeological research, were also in the area.

A Chinese aircraft buzzed the Philippine vessels.

“An aircraft buzzed over our vessels. We are certain that this was a Chinese aircraft. The incident was yesterday afternoon (Monday). We will have to get into specifics,” Gazmin said.

Last Friday, the two Chinese maritime surveillance ships helped eight fishing vessels leave the area with their illegal harvest of giant clams, corals and different endangered marine species after the BRP del Pilar pulled out from the area.

The Philippine warship had cornered the 8 Chinese fishing vessels in Tuesday last week but it was blocked by the two maritime surveillance vessels from arresting the Chinese poachers, triggering the four-day standoff.

Standing orders: assert sovereignty at all times

Meanwhile, Gazmin said President Benigno Aquino III has instructed the DFA and the DND to assert the Philippine rights over the Panatag Shoal.

“We’ve to fight for it and we will not leave the area. Of course, we cannot afford to go to war at this time and therefore we’ve to continue our talks with Chinese authorities,” he said.

He also rejected unsolicited advice to seek assistance from the United States.

“This is a thing that we don’t have to ask for because the area is ours. But I am sure that if the standoff will affect their (US) own interest they will help us. But again we should stand on our own and right now we are in the process of trying to diplomatically settle the issue,” Gazmin said.

The longer the standoff at Panatag Shoal, the greater the impact will be on the economic activity in the area, particularly for local fishermen, Gazmin said.

“The most affected here are our fishermen because of this standoff,” he said.

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Jaime Sinapit | InterAksyon.com | April 17, 2012 | Article Link

US bases removal made Philippines prone to intruders

MANILA, Philippines - The removal of the United States military from the Philippines made the country vulnerable to intrusions, the country's defense chief said Tuesday.

"When the US bases [were still operating in Subic, Zambales and Clark Field, Pampanga], all of our maritime areas were free from intrusions as US forces helped us patrol those areas," National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

Gazmin said that the country's intrusion problem grew when the US removed its bases in 1991. The US military left the country after the Senate refused to extend the lease of the American bases in the country.

The defense chief said that aside from this, the Philippine military's lack of equipment and capability made the country more vulnerable to intrusions.

"Our lack of equipment and capability made it easy for (some of) our neighbors to place markers on our territories, claiming it for their own," he said.

Gazmin also complained against the slow paced modernization of the military. He said the degradation in the Philippines' surveillance capability was further highlighted when the Armed Forces of the Philippines was only given P32-billion out of the P330-billion intended for its modernization.

The defense chief, meanwhile, said that the government is hoping to lessen the incidents of intrusions when the country starts commissioning its brand-new search radar systems, naval craft, and reconnaissance aircraft within the next few months.

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The Philippine Star | April 17, 2012 | Article Link