Vấn đề quần đảo Trường Sa đang có tranh chấp nằm ở phía Tây Philippin hay biển Đông sẽ là một trong những vấn đề chủ chốt của chương trình nghị sự của hội nghị thường niên sắp tới của giới quân sự Philippin và Mỹ với sự tham gia của các quan chức quân sự hàng đầu của hai nước.
Spratlys in talks with US
Intrusions by Chinese cause inclusion in top agenda
BY WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL REPORTER
THE disputed Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine or South China Sea would be among the top agenda in the forthcoming RP-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) annual meeting among top military officials of the two countries.
“Definitely, definitely [that will be tackled] because of the recent statements [from the Philippines, China and Vietnam] and developments that we’ve been hearing and seeing,” Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., said on Sunday.
He said that he would also take the opportunity to ask his United States counterpart to help the Armed Forces in the development of a “national coast system” that would enable the military to adequately monitor the Philippine coastline and protect its maritime resources.
Oban added that P11.9 billion had been allocated for the development of a “coast watch west” that covers, among others, the Spratlys. Part of that will also include the acquisition from the US Coast Guard of a large and modern Hamilton-class cutter patrol craft that is due to arrive in August.
“We would have coast watch stations there [in the West Philippine Sea], coast watch center. We would have radars and communication equipment there, basically that’s for detection and monitoring,” he said.
The Armed Forces chief stressed though that the development of a coast watch system in the West Philippine Sea has long been planned even before the series of Chinese incursions on Philippine territories. It is also not a sign that the Philippines is engaging China in an arms race.
“We would like to ask their [US] support in the development of the national coast system. What we need is not modernization, this is not an arms race. We were just putting the baseline development that any self-respecting nation should have, much more for the Philippines, which is a maritime nation,” Oban said.
This year’s MDB meeting is tentatively set in August in Hawaii. Last year, it was held at the Armed Forces headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City (Metro Manila).
Mutual defense
The meeting, Oban explained, was in connection with the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that was signed in August 30, 1951, or almost 61 years ago in Washington, D.C. by the Philippine and US governments.
Eight articles under the MDT provide that the Philippines and US would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by another country.
Despite repeated denials by the Chinese, Oban maintained that the military has enough evidence to prove its claim of Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory.
The military report, according to him, has been the basis of the diplomatic protest filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) against China.
“If ever we see some similar incursions or violations, we’ll furnish the DFA a complete report. We are leaving it to the DFA,” he added.
Palace expectations
Malacañang said also on Sunday that the Philippines expects the US to be its ally in case the territorial dispute over Spratly Islands worsens.
During a chance interview in Malacañang, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. cited the MDT between the Philippines and the US.
“We have a standing Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.
The relevant portion of that treaty is that the United States has been our ally,” he said.
The Palace, however, remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the Spratlys issue. Ochoa said that the Spratlys issue was a “political and diplomatic issue so we will solve it along those lines also.”
“We don’t want to encourage anything that will exacerbate the issues there. So everybody should be very careful in handling this issue with the Chinese,” he said.
“We have a position that we have made clear to the Chinese and that is being discussed diplomatically,” Ochoa added.
The Executive Secretary said that there was no discussion yet on whether to convene the National Security Cluster of the Cabinet, but he said that they were in “constant communications” on the Spratly issue.
Meanwhile, deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said that Malacañang was not invoking the MTD at this time, adding that the Philippines is committed to resolve the conflict in “the most diplomatic and peaceful way possible.”
“We respect the statement Ms. Rebecca Thompson on the position of the United States on regional dispute but we would like to point out that according to the Mutual Defense Treaty which was signed by both the Philippines and the United States in 1951, there was no provision there that excludes regional dispute,” she said.
THE disputed Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine or South China Sea would be among the top agenda in the forthcoming RP-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) annual meeting among top military officials of the two countries.
“Definitely, definitely [that will be tackled] because of the recent statements [from the Philippines, China and Vietnam] and developments that we’ve been hearing and seeing,” Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., said on Sunday.
He said that he would also take the opportunity to ask his United States counterpart to help the Armed Forces in the development of a “national coast system” that would enable the military to adequately monitor the Philippine coastline and protect its maritime resources.
Oban added that P11.9 billion had been allocated for the development of a “coast watch west” that covers, among others, the Spratlys. Part of that will also include the acquisition from the US Coast Guard of a large and modern Hamilton-class cutter patrol craft that is due to arrive in August.
“We would have coast watch stations there [in the West Philippine Sea], coast watch center. We would have radars and communication equipment there, basically that’s for detection and monitoring,” he said.
The Armed Forces chief stressed though that the development of a coast watch system in the West Philippine Sea has long been planned even before the series of Chinese incursions on Philippine territories. It is also not a sign that the Philippines is engaging China in an arms race.
“We would like to ask their [US] support in the development of the national coast system. What we need is not modernization, this is not an arms race. We were just putting the baseline development that any self-respecting nation should have, much more for the Philippines, which is a maritime nation,” Oban said.
This year’s MDB meeting is tentatively set in August in Hawaii. Last year, it was held at the Armed Forces headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City (Metro Manila).
Mutual defense
The meeting, Oban explained, was in connection with the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that was signed in August 30, 1951, or almost 61 years ago in Washington, D.C. by the Philippine and US governments.
Eight articles under the MDT provide that the Philippines and US would support each other if either of them were to be attacked by another country.
Despite repeated denials by the Chinese, Oban maintained that the military has enough evidence to prove its claim of Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory.
The military report, according to him, has been the basis of the diplomatic protest filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) against China.
“If ever we see some similar incursions or violations, we’ll furnish the DFA a complete report. We are leaving it to the DFA,” he added.
Palace expectations
Malacañang said also on Sunday that the Philippines expects the US to be its ally in case the territorial dispute over Spratly Islands worsens.
During a chance interview in Malacañang, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. cited the MDT between the Philippines and the US.
“We have a standing Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States.
The relevant portion of that treaty is that the United States has been our ally,” he said.
The Palace, however, remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the Spratlys issue. Ochoa said that the Spratlys issue was a “political and diplomatic issue so we will solve it along those lines also.”
“We don’t want to encourage anything that will exacerbate the issues there. So everybody should be very careful in handling this issue with the Chinese,” he said.
“We have a position that we have made clear to the Chinese and that is being discussed diplomatically,” Ochoa added.
The Executive Secretary said that there was no discussion yet on whether to convene the National Security Cluster of the Cabinet, but he said that they were in “constant communications” on the Spratly issue.
Meanwhile, deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said that Malacañang was not invoking the MTD at this time, adding that the Philippines is committed to resolve the conflict in “the most diplomatic and peaceful way possible.”
“We respect the statement Ms. Rebecca Thompson on the position of the United States on regional dispute but we would like to point out that according to the Mutual Defense Treaty which was signed by both the Philippines and the United States in 1951, there was no provision there that excludes regional dispute,” she said.
WITH REPORT FROM CRIS G. ODRONIA
Nguồn: The Manila Times,
