By Mario J. Mallari
The Daily Tribune
The Daily Tribune
DFA Asst. Sec. Carlos Sorreta and DND Usec Pio Lorenzo Batino.
Amid tension with China over the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine government is pushing joint activities with the United States military to boost maritime security and maritime domain awareness.
Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, chairman of the Philippine panel negotiating a framework agreement on the increased rotational presence (IRP) for US military in the Philippines, said these were among the “key areas” the Philippines wants to focus during the negotiations.
“There should be focus on high-impact, high-value exercises and activities that will focus on maritime security, maritime domain awareness and our perrennial problem with disasters,” he stressed.
China has sharply criticized the Aquino administration for entering into a negotiation with the US for IRP in the Philippines, saying such “move could challenge favorable atmosphere for peace in Asia Pacific.”
In an article quoting various Chinese experts, the China Daily, a mouthpiece of the Chinese government, said the new development could also “harm Washington’s interests.”
“The Philippines should give up its vain hope that the United States will allow whatever it wants to safeguard its claims in the South China Sea, although Washington always tries to keep tension in the region to a certain degree,” the newspaper said.
“More military presence from the US, an outside power, will bring more uncertainties in the South China Sea and harm Washington’s own economic interests in the region,” the newspaper quoted Wang Fan, a professor of international affairs at China Foreign Affairs University.
“The US will not allow the Philippines to do whatever it wants to do with its territorial disputes with China at the cost of general stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” Wang was quoted as saying.
“The US is willing to keep the tension in the South China Sea at a certain degree,” Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said according to China Daily.
“The tension offers a good excuse for Washington to deploy more military forces to the Asia-Pacific region under its Asia rebalancing strategy, given that some regional countries may ask the US for help to cope with territorial disputes,” he added.
Batino, however, ruled out any joint combat exercise that will involve US troops in the internal insurgency, saying the Supreme Court had already made it clear that American military forces could not take part in this activity.
“In one case, the Supreme Court already placed limitations in the operations of the US in the Philippines and we are strictly abiding with the doctrine enunciated in that case,” he said.
According to Batino, while both panels have yet to finalize the types of the activities the US will be allowed to do in the Philippines, the Department of National Defense would like to see an agreement that would help the capability build-up of the military in maritime security and disaster response and humanitarian relief.
Manila and Washington last Wednesday started discussions on the details of the agreement that will give US troops and defense equipment temporary access to Philippine military camps — an arrangement that will help the country achieve a minimum credible defense amid territorial threats and modernize the Armed Forces.
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