By Paul Atienza
The Daily Tribune
Despite President Aquino’s rhetorics about defending “what is ours” in reference to the territorial dispute with China and other Asian countries, the government had failed to provide presence on most of the islands it is claiming in the South China Sea, a senior Navy official said.
The official who sought anonymity told The Tribune that the country has “no deployment of Marines or Navy personnel on those claimed islands in the Spratlys, that is why China can be able to anchor there.”
“We have our presence in the Kalayaan island. That one is good. But as to other claimed islands, that is a problem. Ask the Commander-in-Chief on how many elements of the Navy do we have in those claimed islands,” the Navy officer said.
He added that “by analogy, if you have a property abandoned, your presence is unseen, then you will invite squatters. This is how simple is our problem in the Spratlys. We have no presence there.”
“China is building their strong presence, no matter how far and dangerous, even if it means exhaustiing their budget, but that is the only way, the military way, to prove they are serious in their claims too,” the senior Navy officer said.
Aquino unveiled Tuesday a $1.8-billion military upgrade to help defend the country’s maritime territory against who he called as bullies, particularly in the Spratlys group of islands.
Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte in a text message to reporters, meanwhile, said the government had issued an official protest with China over its reported building of structures to establish presence in the Ayungin island, which is part of the disputed Spratlys.
“We continue to monitor activities in the area and to assess our options,” Valte said.
Last May 21, during the 115th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy in Cavite, Aquino declared that “we have a clear message to the world: The Philippines is for Filipinos, and we have the capability to resist bullies entering our backyard.”
“We continue to call on China to respect what is ours,” Valte added.
Ambassador and veteran journalist Rigoberto Tiglao had said in a column article that the country’s naval capability consisted “essentially two frigates, the World War II vintage BRP Rajah Humabon and the 48-year old US Coast Guard hand-me-down BRP Gregorio del Pilar.”
In comparison, Tiglao said that Taiwan has 48 warships, four destroyers, 22 frigates, two attack submarines.
“Taiwan is actually the 10th largest navy in the world. The People’s Republic of China, the other ‘bully’ Aquino says our navy will resist, has the third largest navy (after the US and Russia) with 282 warships,” Tiglao said.
Aquino also claimed that P75 billion has been allocated for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization and capability upgrade program which includes beefing up the navy fleet.
“The P75 billion Aquino referred to is what the AFP brass asked Congress to allocate from 2013 to 2017. The Congress hasn’t allocated the entire amount yet since such multi-year allocations could be authorized only if the AFP Modernization Act that expired last year were extended. Aquino signed into law, last December, Republic Act 10349 that extended the 1995 law,” according to Tiglao.
“However, contrary to many news reports, it had not allocated a specific amount for the AFP’s modernization but merely identified, as in the old law, sources for it,” he added.
“Aquino managed, to his credit, to get Congress to allocate P15 billion this year for the modernization program. However, his or his officials’ bumbling has made this amount completely useless in terms of fast modernizing the Philippine Navy this year,” Tiglao said.
The only other addition to our naval assets therefore this year will be the Hamilton-class cutter BRP Ramon Alcaraz (USCGC Dallas), another 45-year US Coast Guard hand-me down, which was transferred to our Navy last year.
“Its refitting and repairs in South Carolina had taken longer than expected because, according to a Defense-industry blog, its deterioration had been underestimated,” Tiglao said. Aquino said in his speech that the ship will arrive in the country in August.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/14514-no-rp-presence-in-most-disputed-isles-source
Despite President Aquino’s rhetorics about defending “what is ours” in reference to the territorial dispute with China and other Asian countries, the government had failed to provide presence on most of the islands it is claiming in the South China Sea, a senior Navy official said.
The official who sought anonymity told The Tribune that the country has “no deployment of Marines or Navy personnel on those claimed islands in the Spratlys, that is why China can be able to anchor there.”
“We have our presence in the Kalayaan island. That one is good. But as to other claimed islands, that is a problem. Ask the Commander-in-Chief on how many elements of the Navy do we have in those claimed islands,” the Navy officer said.
He added that “by analogy, if you have a property abandoned, your presence is unseen, then you will invite squatters. This is how simple is our problem in the Spratlys. We have no presence there.”
“China is building their strong presence, no matter how far and dangerous, even if it means exhaustiing their budget, but that is the only way, the military way, to prove they are serious in their claims too,” the senior Navy officer said.
Aquino unveiled Tuesday a $1.8-billion military upgrade to help defend the country’s maritime territory against who he called as bullies, particularly in the Spratlys group of islands.
Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte in a text message to reporters, meanwhile, said the government had issued an official protest with China over its reported building of structures to establish presence in the Ayungin island, which is part of the disputed Spratlys.
“We continue to monitor activities in the area and to assess our options,” Valte said.
Last May 21, during the 115th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy in Cavite, Aquino declared that “we have a clear message to the world: The Philippines is for Filipinos, and we have the capability to resist bullies entering our backyard.”
“We continue to call on China to respect what is ours,” Valte added.
Ambassador and veteran journalist Rigoberto Tiglao had said in a column article that the country’s naval capability consisted “essentially two frigates, the World War II vintage BRP Rajah Humabon and the 48-year old US Coast Guard hand-me-down BRP Gregorio del Pilar.”
In comparison, Tiglao said that Taiwan has 48 warships, four destroyers, 22 frigates, two attack submarines.
“Taiwan is actually the 10th largest navy in the world. The People’s Republic of China, the other ‘bully’ Aquino says our navy will resist, has the third largest navy (after the US and Russia) with 282 warships,” Tiglao said.
Aquino also claimed that P75 billion has been allocated for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization and capability upgrade program which includes beefing up the navy fleet.
“The P75 billion Aquino referred to is what the AFP brass asked Congress to allocate from 2013 to 2017. The Congress hasn’t allocated the entire amount yet since such multi-year allocations could be authorized only if the AFP Modernization Act that expired last year were extended. Aquino signed into law, last December, Republic Act 10349 that extended the 1995 law,” according to Tiglao.
“However, contrary to many news reports, it had not allocated a specific amount for the AFP’s modernization but merely identified, as in the old law, sources for it,” he added.
“Aquino managed, to his credit, to get Congress to allocate P15 billion this year for the modernization program. However, his or his officials’ bumbling has made this amount completely useless in terms of fast modernizing the Philippine Navy this year,” Tiglao said.
The only other addition to our naval assets therefore this year will be the Hamilton-class cutter BRP Ramon Alcaraz (USCGC Dallas), another 45-year US Coast Guard hand-me down, which was transferred to our Navy last year.
“Its refitting and repairs in South Carolina had taken longer than expected because, according to a Defense-industry blog, its deterioration had been underestimated,” Tiglao said. Aquino said in his speech that the ship will arrive in the country in August.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/14514-no-rp-presence-in-most-disputed-isles-source
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