AIR ASSET Following the announcement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on the upcoming PH-US Balikatan Exercise 39-2024 (BK39-2024), the AFP Western Command is gearing up for the scheduled training events to be held in Palawan from April 22 to May 10, 2024. AFP PHOTO
Several countries are willing to assist the Philippines in enhancing its defense capabilities through a visiting forces agreement (VFA) or military exercises.
National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said at least 14 nations have expressed intentions to join "Balikatan" (literally shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises in the country.
The "Balikatan" with the United States military demonstrates and refines tactics, techniques, and procedures related to security and conflicts.
There are also humanitarian civic assistance projects to improve infrastructure and enhance medical response, including trainings in advanced emergency rescue and lifesaving techniques.
“Dati po iyong Balikatan, ilang libo lang iyan kasama, iyong Amerika. Ngayon libu-libo na at ang observer natin, 14. Ganoon kadami iyong mga bansa na hindi lang salita, gawa na ngayon. Nagpapadala sila ng tropa mula sa bansa nila (The previous Balikatan only had America but now there are thousand others and we have 14 observers. They actually join, not just talk about it. They send troops) and they are asking permission to join,” he said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
He said even New Zealand wants to strengthen its defenses alongside the Philippines, as expressed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in his meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace in Manila on Thursday.
Malaya said the support of various countries is mainly due to the clear stand of the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue. “Wala pong ni isang bansa ang nagpapahayag ng suporta sa posisyon ng Tsina sa (Not one country supports the stand of China on the) West Philippine Sea," Malaya said.
In contrast, he said the Philippines is always visited by prime ministers, foreign ministers, defense ministers and the like.
"They understand that our position is important. We stand for the rule of law. We stand for a free and open Indo-Pacific and we stand for international law,” Malaya said.
He clarified though that the Philippines is accepting alliances with other nations not to create war.
“We are exhausting all diplomatic options to resolve this issue. We wish a constructive dialogue with the People’s Republic of China. But defending, improving our defenses and improving the capacity of our forces through exercises and joint patrols do not mean that we are going to war,” he said.
“We have no intention of precipitating any form of war with anyone,” he added.
All VFA announcements will have to come from the Department of Foreign Affairs, he said.
“All I can say right now are the countries that have expressed interest to us publicly, like Japan,” he said.
The Philippines' tough stand against China is one of the reasons why the President was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time Magazine.
"Hindi po ako nagtataka doon (I'm not surprised with that) because the respect for the Philippines has increased. And I agree with the assessment of Time Magazine that President Bongbong Marcos has brought the Philippines back to the world stage,” he said.
Meanwhile, professor Don Mclain Gill, geopolitical analyst and lecturer of the International Studies Department of De La Salle University, noted that the country is on the right track as it handles with "clarity, transparency and consistency” the WPS issues.
“The government of the Philippines particularly under President Marcos Jr. has emphasized that we uphold the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), which are enough to let us know our legitimacy in terms of the West Philippine Sea," he said.
He urged Filipinos to continue to support the government.
“What we should now be focused on are its long-term implications and this is where we should show our unity in order to ensure that the efforts of civil society also align with the efforts that our government is putting in and that is basically the whole-of-the nation approach that we are trying to pursue,” he said.
PH INTEREST Bureau of Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya and De La Salle University geopolitical analyst and lecturer Don McLain Gill (from left) guest at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City on April 20, 2024. Maronilla reported the BOC collection of PHP219.385 billion for the first quarter of 2024, with nearly PHP8.5 billion in surplus; while Malaya said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has the full support of the police and the military and echoed National Security Adviser Eduardo Año's appeal to Filipinos to stand their ground and reject narratives seeking to undermine national interest. PNA
Last Thursday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) told China that the Philippines’ move to strengthen alliance and partnership with the United States and Japan is Manila’s “sovereign decision” and should not be seen as a threat by any peace-loving country.
The statement comes after Beijing's criticism against the trilateral leaders’ summit between President Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week, describing it as a “smear and attack” against China.
“The trilateral cooperation is a partnership and a cooperative framework for the promotion of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” the DFA said.
“It is an admirable aspiration that should not be considered a threat by any peace-loving country."
The agency said this is a “sovereign choice and decision” of the Philippines and is in accordance with the country’s national interests and independent foreign policy.
“Our actions are in line with international law and complement our commitments in other regional and multilateral forums,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Western Command (Wescom) based in Palawan province will host two high impact activities for this year's "Balikatan" exercise set from April 22 to May 10.
"Wescom will be the hub of two major CJADO (Combined Joint All Domain Operations) events – Training on Maritime Key Terrain Security Operations and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Insertion (HIRAIN) Operations," Wescom chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said in a social media post late Thursday.
Ahead of the drills, United States military units participating in this year's exercise had already started establishing logistics infrastructure in Wescom's joint operational area.
Participants will engage in simulations, live-fire drills, and tactical exercises, aimed at enhancing cooperation and boosting the capabilities of the AFP and the US military.
These training events are expected to increase the allied forces’ ability to work together in response to crises across the military spectrum to accomplish the mission while also supporting the local population.
Apart from these training events, several humanitarian civic assistance projects such as the ongoing construction of a health care center in Barangay Punta Baja, Rizal, and the upcoming civil-military engagements in the area also aim to provide immediate and direct benefit to the local communities of Palawan.
“We welcome all participating contingents as we prepare for the PH-US Balikatan 39-2024 here in Palawan. Together, we will strive for a successful exercise that not only strengthens our bilateral ties but also brings benefits to our country and our allies,” Carlos said. PNA
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