Philippines says joint patrols with US not against China
Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINE military on Wednesday said its three-day joint sea and air patrols with the US Indo-Pacific Command is not a show of force against China but is meant to show their commitment to a rules-based international order.
The activity that began on Tuesday was “not meant to escalate the tension” in the South China Sea, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Medel M. Aguilar told ABS-CBN Teleradyo. “All our actions and intentions are in accordance with international laws and conventions.”
The joint activity covers areas of the disputed waterway within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as well as the northernmost province of Batanes, which is about 200 kilometers away from Taiwan.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has been forging closer security ties with the US and other allies amid worsening relations with China over their sea dispute.
The activity shows the Philippines’ “firm resolve to assert our sovereign rights and jurisdiction and commitment to uphold such conventions that promote peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts,” Mr. Aguilar said. “We hope and expect China to do the same.”
Mr. Marcos announced the joint patrols on Tuesday, saying it aims to enhance interoperability and foster regional cooperation between the treaty allies.
It started with a joint patrol near Batanes and will end in areas that fall within the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has deployed three Navy vessels, two light jet fighters and one A-29B Super Tucano attack aircraft, while the US sent a littoral combat ship and a P8-A patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Mr. Marcos earlier expressed concern about the situation in the South China Sea, which he said has become “more dire.”
China has come “closer and closer” to the Philippine coastline as it builds more military bases, he said at a forum in Honolulu, which was his last stop during his weeklong trip to the US. “The nearest one is now around 60 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine coast.”
The Philippine leader on Tuesday said the joint maritime and air patrols are part of a series of events agreed upon by the Mutual Defense Board of both nations.
Mr. Aguilar said there’s no reason for any other country to take the joint patrol against the Philippines since it is not breaking any laws. “I don’t know how they will react, but we hope and expect China will do the same.”
The Philippine Air Force, which deployed its two South Korean-made jet fighters, said on Wednesday it would use air assets in the activity that will end on Nov. 23.
It is committed to ensure the readiness of air assets to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines in “protecting our national territory and maritime interests, as well as maintaining peace and security in the region,” it said in a statement.