Think-tank cites PH commitment to upgrade its territorial defense

By Roy Mabasa

Manila Bulletin, Wednesday, August 31, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — A United States (US)-based think-tank Wednesday said that US officials can learn two important lessons from the enthusiasm generated by the recent introduction of the Philippine Navy’s newest flagship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which was acquired through the US Foreign Military Sales program.

Robert Warshaw, Research Assistant in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, said that firstly, the Philippines is fully committed to improving its territorial defense.

Secondly, he said, the US–Philippines alliance remains extremely relevant in preserving stability across the Asia-Pacific.

Warshaw stressed that US policymakers would do well to heed the recommendations raised by The Heritage Foundation, as contained in its report, “US–Philippines Partnership in the Cause of Maritime Defense,” released early August.

He said that beyond the pressing need to fully fund its own Navy, the US should prioritize the Philippines to receive excess defense articles.

“The fanfare that greeted a Vietnam War–era Coast Guard vessel should remind the Pentagon that the Philippines operates an aging fleet of less than 80 ships; therefore, any excess ships would have a tremendous effect on ensuring regional stability,” Warshaw stated in his paper, “US Ship for Philippines a Good Start, But Much More to Be Done.”

He said the US should also explore various lend-lease programs to provide the Philippines’ armed forces with the hardware it needs to maintain a sufficient defense capability.

In continuing to provide the Philippines with the means to protect its territorial integrity, the US should ensure that the alliance can continue to flourish for the next 60 years, Warshaw said.

“The US should continue to offer support to the Philippines by reaffirming our mutual defense obligations and ensuring freedom of navigation across the region,” he said.

Last week, President Benigno Aquino III personally welcomed the arrival of BRP Gregorio del Pilar at Pier 13 of the South Harbor in Manila.

President Aquino said the docking of the 378-foot Hamilton class cutter represents the renewed strength of the country’s Armed Forces towards protecting its coastlines and assets.

In his speech during the welcoming ceremony, the President also assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines that the government will not stop in the acquisition of ships, helicopters and patrol crafts.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar replaced the Raja Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer escort, which is probably one of the world’s oldest warships.

Warshaw said the changeover in flagships points to the Philippines’ urgent need for maritime defense capability. “It has to start its modernization somewhere, and developing an ability to regularly patrol Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea is the best place to start,” he said.

Warshaw pointed out that “despite historically dedicating its security policies toward countering domestic separatism, President Aquino’s government now realizes the danger posed by continued Chinese adventurism in the South China Sea.”

He claimed that since February, Chinese military vessels on several occasions have allegedly harassed Philippine fishing boats and energy survey ships in waters “mere miles from Philippine territory.”

“President Aquino, in unveiling his new flagship before his state visit to Beijing is sending a message to Beijing that the Philippines is ready to protect its own shores,” he added.

www.mb.com.ph

‘Gregorio del Pilar’ is arriving Sunday

By Victor Reyes
Malaya, Friday, August 19, 2011

The Philippines’ newest and second warship, a Hamilton class ship acquired from the United States, is expected in Manila on Sunday.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said the ship, acquired under the US Excess Defense Articles program, has been named BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

Manned by 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel under Capt. Alberto Cruz, Tonsay said the ship will be passing the San Bernardino Strait and is expected to anchor at Manila Bay around 8 a.m. Sunday.

The ship left San Francisco last July 18 and made stops in Hawaii and Guam.

"Her deployment is flexible depending on the operational plan but she will help a lot in protecting our offshore resources by increased maritime domain awareness and added response capability," AFP spokesman Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez said.

The Philippines’ only warship, the BRP Rajah Humabon, is a World War II vintage destroyer escort.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which was launched by the US in 1967, will guard the Malampaya project in Palawan, which is the biggest foreign investment in the country.

Top military officials said the ship will also help protect the country’s maritime interests, including the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea. The oil and mineral rich islands are being claimed in part or in whole by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

www.malaya.com.ph

On board the BRP Gregorio del Pilar

By Rodel Rodis

Inquirer, Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Philippines has only a WW II vintage frigate, the Rajah Humabon, to use right now to defend the country against an attack from China’s formidable armada which includes an aircraft carrier, 21 destroyers, 68 submarines, 42 modern frigates and 760 ships. But help is on the way. In three weeks, the 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio Del Pilar will arrive in the Philippines where it will be dispatched to the Kalayaan Island Group of the Spratly Islands to defend this “Tirad Pass” from foreign invaders.

Imagine the Philippine David with its cutter slingshot against the China Goliath.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy, will be manned by a full complement of 180 officers and crew, 95 of whom were recently trained in the San Francisco Bay Area at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.

Before it was purchased by the Philippine government from the US for $13 million this May, the cutter, which was built in 1968, was largely used by the US Coast Guard for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement and defense readiness. As a multi-mission Surface Combatant Ship (SCS), the first gas-turbine jet engine-powered vessel in its fleet, the Philippine Navy plans to deploy it for operations in the West Philippine Sea.

On the eve of the ship’s departure for the Philippines from its Alameda base this July 17, I attended a Mass officiated on the ship by Fr. Mark Reburiano. Before Holy Communion was served, Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama spoke to thank the members of the Filipino American community.

“You warmly welcomed them in your homes, you fed them and you made them feel at home” he said. “We want you all to be proud of our Philippine Navy which represents not only the Filipino people but Filipinos everywhere.”

“We may face insurmountable odds when we return to the Philippines,” he added, “but at the end of the day, it is people who are the decisive factors in any conflict and I want you all to know that we have people of outstanding quality in our navy.”

After the Mass, we joined the officers and crew at the ship’s mess hall for their final dinner in the United States. We watched the video of the May 13, 2011 turnover ceremonies attended by Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, Jr. and US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown.

The highlight of the turnover rites was the departure of the US Coast Guard crew from the ship as the US flag was lowered and the raising of the Philippine flag on the ship as 21 members of the Philippine Navy, who had been in training in the US since February 25, 2011, boarded the ship to take command.

On the following day, 74 additional members of the Philippine Navy arrived to undergo training on the Philippine Navy’s newest ship.

The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar crew includes three female officers: Dr. Joanne Cornista, the Chief Medical officer; Ensign Lolit Gonzales; and Lt. Junior Grade Andrelee Mojica, the Damage Control Officer who happens to be the first female valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy (Class of 2007).

At the helm of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar is Navy Captain Alberto Cruz, (PMA Class of 1988) who along with his Executive Officer, Navy Commander Reynaldo Lopez (PMA Class of 1992) arrived in Alameda on February 25, 2011 together with a specially selected crew of 19 other officers and enlisted men/engineers (the “crème de la crème”) of the Philippine Navy.

They underwent intensive hands-on training on board the USCGC Boutwell, the sister ship of the USCGC Hamilton, for two months traveling to Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador to interdict drug smugglers. With no access to the telephone or the Internet, the crew later told reporter Gemma Nemenzo, they felt like “the lost command”. Worse torture for some of them—the steady diet of potatoes, meat, potatoes and more potatoes. No rice.

At our dinner at the Officers’ Mess Hall on July 17, I sat down with Vice-Admiral Pama who had flown in from Manila just the day before to formally issue the orders to Capt. Cruz. He candidly expressed relief that the Philippine Navy was finally getting attention from the national government after years of neglect.

We recalled Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26, 2010 when he said: “We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.”

While Pres. PNoy Aquino has been hammered by his critics for lack of accomplishments during his first year in office, PNoy quietly found the government funds to purchase the Hamilton cutter from the US government and is negotiating to acquire even more de-commissioned cutters.

Vice-Admiral Pama shared that the decision to name the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar was no fluke. Philippine Navy officers were keenly aware of the heroic exploits of the “Boy General” who led his Filipino soldiers to victory in the Battle of Quingua on April 23, 1899 against the US forces of Col. John Stotsenburg. With the US forces breathing down on Philippine President Emilo Aguinaldo’s trail, Gen. Del Pilar and 60 Filipino soldiers defended Tirad Pass for five hours against the vastly superior 33rd Infantry Regiment led by Gen. Peyton March before he and his men were killed by the foreign invaders.

On Monday, July 18, we attended the send-off ceremonies at Alameda as Vice Admiral Pama officially issued the order to Capt. Cruz to depart for the Philippines. I then joined the Filipino-American community in shaking the hands of each of the 95 officers and crew of the BRP del Pilar to wish them each Godspeed. As I shook their hands and looked in their eyes, I worried that they may be the first casualties of a war with China over the Spratlys.

The Filipino American community has scheduled a national Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys for Sunday, August 21, the 28th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, to pray for the peaceful and just resolution of our territorial conflict with China and for the protection and safety of the brave men and women of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar.

globalnation.inquirer.net

Philippine Navy acquires biggest warship

By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer,Sunday, July 17, 2011

The biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy, the renamed BRP Gregorio del Pilar, will begin its three-week journey to the Philippines from California on Monday.

The 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter is a decommissioned United States Coast Guard patrol vessel that the Philippines was able to acquire under the United States Excess Defense Act.

(The cutters are called “Hamilton class” after their lead ship, the Hamilton, named after Alexander Hamilton, the first US Secretary of the Treasury.)

Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Oban Jr. earlier said the transfer cost to the government was around P450 million.

The money used for its acquisition came from the Department of Energy’s Malampaya project funds, according to Lieutenant Colonel Omar Tonsay, chief of the Navy’s public affairs office.

While the ship—until recently the largest class of vessel in the US Coast Guard—was designated as a “weather high-endurance cutter” in the USCG, in the Philippine Navy it is classified as a “surface combatant ship” or a warship, said Tonsay.

It will be used for, among other purposes, defending the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), particularly in waters near the disputed Spratly Islands, according to the Navy.

The send-off in San Francisco will be attended by Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama and Philippine Deputy General Consul to San Francisco Wilfredo Santos.

“The send-off will signal the last leg of activities for BRP Gregorio del Pilar in the US and will start the first leg of its journey to the Philippines,” said Pama.

Long trip home

“All preparations have been made for this long trip home as the actual send-off takes place on July 18 at 4 p.m.,” he said in a statement.

The journey will include stopovers in Hawaii and Guam for replenishment.

The Del Pilar, or PF-15, was turned over to the Philippine government on May 13 during turnover rites led by Jose L. Cuisia Jr., the Philippine ambassador to the United States, and Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown, the US Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West Commander.

The vessel, whose two 1,800 horsepower gas turbines can propel it to speeds of up to 28 knots, was renamed the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, or PF-15 (the type code designating it as a patrol frigate).

It is the biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy at 378 feet long, with displacement weight of 3,390 long tons. It can stay at sea for 30 days without refueling, and has a crew capacity of 180.

Powerful facilities

It is powered by combined diesel engines and gas turbines and equipped with a helicopter flight deck, a retractable hangar, and other facilities to support helicopter operations.

The Del Pilar will replace the 306-ft BRP Rajah Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer-escort built during World War II, as the country’s biggest warship, said Tonsay.

The Hamilton-class cutter was largely used by the US Coast Guard for “drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue, living marine resources protection, and defense readiness,” Tonsay said.

“The Philippine Navy, on the other hand, intends to use this multimission vessel for operations such as maritime security patrols and search and rescue,” he said.

“But more specifically, it will be deployed to aid in the maritime security of the Malampaya Project west of Palawan,” Tonsay said.

In a forum in May, Oban said the Del Pilar would be deployed to the Palawan area, “purposely to patrol our maritime area there and protect our territorial waters as well.”

Military modernization

The Philippines has sought to modernize its military following a series of incidents with China, particularly in the Spratlys, a reputedly oil- and gas-rice chain of islets claimed wholly or in part by the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Philippines has accused China of repeated intrusions into Philippine-claimed territories in the West Philippine Sea that lie well within its exclusive economic zone.

On Friday, Oban said the AFP had recorded no new foreign intrusions in the area since June.

“That means we’re doing good in terms of our presence,” he said.

“What I’m saying is there are fewer incidences of intrusion unlike the first four to five months of the year when we have seen increased level of intrusion,” he said.

He said the AFP would maintain “vigilance on all fronts” in protecting Philippine waters.

“Our mandate is to patrol our exclusive economic zone. Whether there is threat or not we have to enforce maritime and environmental laws,” Oban said.

globalnation.inquirer.net

Philippines will not buy second hand naval equipment from the US

By Barbara Mae Dacanay
Gulf News, Monday, July 4,2011

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippine government might not buy but lease the equipment from the United States, adding the aim is to become a strong US allyManila: The Philippines will not buy second hand naval equipment from its ally, the United States, said a senior official who announced the arrival of long range aircraft that will oversee the country's claim on the contested South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) and the Spratly Archipelago.

The government will soon have very long range patrol aircraft and also watercraft on the West Philippine Sea, facing the eastern seaboard of the country, said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

"We have to see if we can afford it," Gazmin also said.

He did not give details about the amount to be spent for the equipment and the manner of payment for the said purchase.

Upgrading the Philippine Navy was estimated to cost P 11 billion ($ 252 million).

Chinese forces opened fire on Filipino fishermen, harassed a Philippine oil exploration and erected structures on six areas on Philippine territory, the Philippines complained earlier.

Philippine President Aquino called for US assistance because of these problems. Then Manila baptized the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.

Like Manila, Vietnam also accused China of activities that increased tension in the South China Sea.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippine government might not buy but lease the equipment from the United States, adding the aim is to become a strong US ally.

The list of the Philippine government was already given to the US Navy, he added. The new equipment will supplant the F5 fighter jets which were retired in 2005. The Philippine Navy is still using World War II vintage Rajah Humabon, a former US Navy frigate.

In reaction, militant groups said that the Philippine government might have allowed the United States to stockpile naval equipment at the South China Sea.

They also blamed President Benigno Aquino for drawing the US into the contested claims on the South China Sea and the Spratly Archipelago.

In 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the US-proposed extension of the now defunct Military Bases Agreement. Since then, the Philippines stopped hosting of the largest two US overseas war facilities in central Luzon. The former US Naval Airbase in Olongapo, Zambales and the Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga were transformed into commercial use.

But soon after, the US has proposed to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the establishment of non-permanent US bases in the Pacific region.

This was not yet acted upon.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei claim some parts of the Spratly Archipelago.

gulfnews.com

On sending Philippine Navy’s biggest warship to Spratlys

By Amando Doronila

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Monday, June 20, 2011

The Philippines deployed on Friday its biggest warship, the BRP Rajah Humabon, to patrol the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea, raising its naval profile in the escalating dispute over several islands in the Spratlys group with China and four Asian countries—Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia.

The deployment of the Philippine Navy’s flagship and oldest warship, of World War II vintage, followed recent incursions by Chinese naval vessels into islands claimed by the Philippines in the Spratlys.

It also came amid the rise of encounters between Philippine and Chinese vessels trying to stop oil exploration by the Philippines and Vietnam in waters claimed by China as part of its territory for the past 2,000 years. Our claims as well as those of Vietnam are anchored on international covenants on the law of the sea.

The dispute is over access to reportedly rich oil and marine resources underneath the disputed islands, as well as control of strategic shipping lanes in the region.

This flare-up of incidents among China, the Philippines and Vietnam over competing territorial claims has fueled a naval show of force and has made the West Philippine Sea the flash point of the dispute in the region.

Live-fire exercises

The Philippine naval deployment came in the face of at least three tension fueling events.

The start last week of the live-fire exercises in the South China Sea by Vietnam, which warned vessels to stay out of the live ammunition drill area off Quang Nam province. The drill followed a verbal clash with China over sovereignty in the area.

The clash also occurred after an angry Chinese reaction to Vietnam’s charge that a Chinese fishing boat rammed cables from an oil exploration vessel inside its exclusive economic zone. China claimed Chinese fishing boats were chased away by Vietnamese ships. Beijing accused Vietnam of “gravely violating” its sovereignty, saying that Vietnam’s actions endangered Chinese sailors’ lives and warned Vietnam to stop all “invasive activities.”

Vietnam said the “premeditated and carefully calculated” action was part of China’s attempts to control disputed waters. Rather than be cowed by China’s warnings, Vietnam responded with holding the live-fire exercises.

Humabon deployment

Showing defiance to Chinese incursions into the Philippine areas in the West Philippine Sea, Manila announced the deployment of the Humabon on the eve of annual joint exercises of Philippine and US forces under their mutual defense treaty.

Philippine defense officials believe that the exercises would act as a signal to China that the United States would come to the aid of the Philippines if an armed conflict with China breaks out over the Spratlys.

Arms shopping

Following the increasing encounters with Chinese vessels intruding into territories it has made claims and interfering in explorations for resources in the West Philippine Sea, Manila started an arms shopping in the United States for weapons to build up its naval facilities, including a Hamilton-class vessel to patrol its territory.

The Philippines has a relatively weak Navy to prevent sneak construction on its claimed territories. Despite claims and pledges by China at the recent Asian security summit in Singapore to pursue a peaceful solution of territorial disputes, rival claimants are not reassured.

Rules-based deals

Chinese Defense Minister Lian Guanglie told the worried Asians at the summit, “China is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. At present, the general situation in the South China Sea remains stable,” adding that freedom of navigation had never been impeded.

Filipino officials have claimed that the Philippines is pursuing diplomatic means, or “rules-based” arrangements, in concert with its Asean allies, but Manila does not trust China’s soothing pledges. The Philippines is suspicious and nervous over China’s hegemonic ambitions in the region in the light of the rise of Beijing’s economic power.

These apprehensions are expressed in some ways by the Philippines decision to build up its naval muscle and to deploy the Humabon as a show of force of its determination not to be bullied by Chinese threats.

In Manila on Friday, President Aquino expressed his strongest statement yet against Chinese incursions into territories claimed by the Philippines. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that in the deployment of Humabon, the Philippines reserved the right to explore its waters, despite Chinese rival claims.

No pushover

“We will not be pushed around because we are a tiny state compared with others,” Mr. Aquino said. “We think we have very solid grounds to say ‘do not intrude into our territory’ and that it is not a source of dispute or should not be a source of dispute,” the President said.

“We will continue with dialogues, but I think for our internal affairs, we don’t have to ask anybody else’s permission.”

He added, “We are not going to escalate the tensions here, but we do have to protect our rights.”

Cmdr. Celestino Abalayan, captain of the Humabon, explained his mission. “Our objectives are to establish naval presence in the area and to test the readiness of our vessel in terms of territorial defense operations. We are conducting defensive naval patrol to safeguard the waters of the country.”

All right, we have told the Chinese that we don’t want to be bullied by them. With all this tough talk, Abalayan has a big job.

He must be sure that the guns of Humabon don’t jam—when they are needed to sink Chinese ships.

newsinfo.inquirer.net