Aquino commissions new Phl warship today

By Aurea Calica

Philippine Star, Tuesday, August 23, 2011

President Aquino leads today the inspection of the newly-acquired warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which is part of the upgrading and modernization efforts of the government on the maritime capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP).

Aquino will be welcomed at Pier 13 in South Harbor by government officials including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, AFP chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr., Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, and PF15 Commanding Officer Capt. Alberto Cruz.

Manned by 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel, BRP Gregorio del Pilar arrived in the country last week after a month-long voyage from the United States. The warship dropped anchor at the Manila Bay yesterday to undergo customs, immigration and quarantine inspection.

The Navy recently acquired the refurbished US Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WHEC-715) and commissioned it as BRP Gregorio del Pilar Pacific Fleet 15.

The 378-foot vessel with a crew capacity of 180 is equipped with armament and weapons system, propulsion plant, electrical generation, helicopter hangar and flight deck, among others.

It will be deployed to carry out missions for drug interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue operations, defense readiness and migrant interdiction. It will also perform tasks in protecting the country’s natural gas and oil exploration projects off Palawan amid reported incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Defense department spokesman Col. Hernando Iriberri said Aquino’s presence during the event signifies the government’s seriousness in modernizing the military.

“It shows the commitment of the government to improve the capability of the AFP to perform its constitutional mandate as protector of our people and guardian of our territory,” Iriberri said.

He said the arrival of the BRP Gregorio del Pilar “is a step forward toward the realization of the thrust to modernize the AFP.”

The ship is the Navy’s first Hamilton-class cutter and is its largest vessel. – With Alexis Romero

www.philstar.com

New Navy combat vessel enters country’s waters

By William Depasupil
Manila Times, Thursday, August 18, 2011

THE country’s largest and most modern combat sea vessel, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, has arrived in the country after a 42-day journey from the United States.

The Philippine Navy spokesman, Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, disclosed that the vessel, formerly the US Coast Guard cutter Hamilton, entered the country’s territory around 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

“The ship will anchor in Manila Bay anchorage area on August 21 [Sunday] for Customs, immigration and quarantine inspection prior to arrival and welcome ceremony at Manila South Harbor, “ he said.

The ship is manned by 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel under the command of Capt. Alberto Cruz, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988.

As of 1 p.m. yesterday, the vessel was some 273 nautical miles off the baseline of Samar in Eastern Visayas.

It left the United States on July 5.

The deputy spokesman of the Philippine Navy Fleet, Lt. Jr. Grade Rommel Rodriguez, said that Gregorio del Pilar arrived more than a week ahead of its original schedule.

According to him, the ship would be repainted and installed with additional facilities and capabilities, which are cheaper to be done here than in the US.

The Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Eduardo Oba Jr., has said that the former US Coast Guard cutter would be used for multi-mission operations such as search and rescue and maritime security patrols, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to protect the country’s interests that include the Malampaya Gas Project in the waters of Palawan near the disputed Spratly group of islands.

Oban said that the Hamilton was designed to endure high-sea weather and can sustain longer patrolling at sea.

“It has better and wider range radars to be able to cover a larger scope and has a fire control system that enables it to fire accurate shots even if the ship is in up and down motion, and even if the target is shaking,” he added.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that the acquisition of the “new man-of-war” would certainly be a big boost to the Navy’s fleet, considering its multi-role capability.

www.manilatimes.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

Aquino okays new designation of five generals, flag officers

By PNA

Zamboanga Times, Wednesday, July 6, 2011

MANILA — President Benigno S. Aquino, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), has approved the designation of five Generals and Senior Officers to key-positions in the military, effective last June.

Upon the recommendation of the Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, two Brigadier Generals, two Colonels and a Navy Captain were appointed to key-positions in the AFP by the Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8186, as amended by R.A. No. 9188, otherwise known as the Act Strengthening the Professionalism in the AFP.

Brig. Gen. Cipriano D. Gundao, the former Acting Commander Philippine Air Force Air Logistics Command, now formally holds the said position.

Brigadier General Joel C. Marayag, previously the Commander of the 1st Air Division, is now the Deputy Chief of Staff for the AFP Reservist and Retiree Affairs, J9.

Colonel Luis C. Vinoya Jr., former Chief Army Management Information Center from the Philippine Army, is now the Chairman of the AFP General Headquarters Bids and Awards Committee. Col. Danilo H. Peñafiel, prior to being the Deputy Commander of the Air Education and Training Command of the Philippine Air Force was the Deputy Wing Commander, 355th Aviation Engineering Wing.

Captain Abraham F. Celzo of the Philippine Navy, previously the Deputy Commander is now the Commander of the Naval Forces in Southern Luzon.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines is committed in further strengthening professionalism within its ranks. The designation of new positions is part of the dynamics of the organization which is vital in carrying out our mission effectively. We shall expect great things from these newly appointed officers in order to make our goals happen," AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Eduardo SL Oban Jr. said. (PNA)

zambotimes.com

Sea exercises

By Elena Aben

Manila Bulletin, Sunday, June 19, 2011

MANILA, Philippines -- Amid mounting tension over disputing claims to islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Philippine Navy (PN) joined five other navies from Southeast Asian countries in maritime security exercises with the United States Navy (USN) known as the Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT), the military said Sunday.

Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, expressed hope that after the 10th annual SEACAT, the PN may soon hold the same exercise with the Chinese Navy.

“It’s normal for navies to conduct drills, the Philippine Navy does them all the time,” Rodriguez said. “We’re now having SEACAT with other Asian countries, then by end of June we will have CARAT with the US Navy. No cause for worry. We hope someday we can exercise with the Chinese Navy.”

SEACAT is led by the US Navy and is centered this year in Changi, Singapore, where the exercise command and control center is located. A battle staff from each participating navy is organized in the respective navy headquarters of the participants to monitor all the activities of the exercise.

CARAT, which means Cooperation Readiness Afloat Training, is an annual bilateral exercise that embodies the spirit of the longstanding cooperative relationship between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the USN.

Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, PN spokesman, said: “Combined navy units from participating Southeast Asian countries hold the SEACAT 2011 exercises as scheduled with the recent conduct of Command Post Exercise (CPX) and preparations for the forthcoming holding of a Field Training Exercise (FTX) on June 20 - 23, 2011 at strategic points of the exercise area.”

According to exercise orders issued by SEACAT 2011 exercise director for the Philippine Navy, Capt. Franco Sebastian T. Pan, the CPX is designed to exercise communication flow and decision-making processes in preparation for the FTX.

Pan said Philippine Navy liaison officers together with their counterparts from the other participating countries will consolidate and be posted at the Change Command and Control Center in Singapore. He added an FTX will take place throughout the Southeast Asia maritime domain particularly along strategic points of its vital sea lanes.

“This includes the movement of the USS Safeguard as the Contact of Interest (CoI) to Philippine area of responsibility for coordinated surveillance operations, tracking, and eventual conduct of Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) aboard the CoI,” said Pan.

Philippines wants peace not war

While moving to upgrade its defense capability, the Philippine government said it seeks peace not war in a territorial spat with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government has constantly pushed for a diplomatic solution to the maritime conflict with China, especially the adherence to the international law to preserve peace in the region.

Malacañang hailed six Asian neighbors for supporting the call for a peaceful settlement to the sea dispute in the region, saying this has been Manila’s position since the conflict started.

“We welcome the multilateral call of the six ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-member nations for a peaceful resolution. We all have a stake in the peace and stability in the region. That has been our country’s call and approach to this dispute in the West Philippine Sea,” Lacierda said.

During a United Nations (UN) meeting in New York City last week, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos have called for the peaceful resolution to the conflict in the disputed territory in the South China Sea.

The six countries belonging to the ASEAN also pressed the use of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) to settle any maritime dispute among neighbors.

Other members of the regional bloc are the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

“I would reiterate that the Philippines is in total agreement with the statement. ASEAN is united in this,” Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said.

Earlier, President Aquino said the government will not be bullied by China in a conflict over the West Philippine Sea, insisting China should desist from venturing into the country’s legitimate waters.

The President also vowed to increase government spending to upgrade the military’s capability to guard the country’s waters.

“By enhancing the capability of the military, we will no longer be bullied by any nation in times of conflict such as the dispute in the West Philippine Sea,” he said last week.

Meantime, the government is planning to spend around P40 billion in the next five years to enhance the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in protecting the national territory.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. said the government intends to allocate P8-billion increase in the modernization program of the AFP starting next year. Abad explained though that the President approved the additional budget for the military “way before the tensions rose.”

Another P8 billion or higher may be allocated in 2012 depending on the government’s fiscal condition, said Abad.

This year, the Aquino administration allocated P11 billion to bankroll the AFP modernization program.

He explained though that the President approved the additional budget for the military “way before the tensions rose.”

“It’s meant to secure the perimeter of Malampaya (gas field in Palawan). Certainly, it’s not enough to cover our requirements but it is substantial enough to start with,” the budget chief said.

AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. welcomed the planned increase in the military’s modernization program, saying they will produce a list of priority acquisition mainly to upgrade the military’s “baseline capability.”

Among the priority military purchases are helicopters, transport aircrafts, and sealift vessels.

Oban said the Hamilton Class Cutter from the United States will be initially deployed to Palawan, around 80 nautical miles from Recto Bank, when it arrives later this year.

He said the military also plans to increase its “coast watch system” within 200 nautical miles of the country’s exclusive economic zone in Palawan.

He said the AFP modernization program is a priority of the Aquino administration “that has been neglected over the years.”

He said the planned increased budget for the AFP does not yet include investments to strengthen the Philippine Coast Guard.

mb.com.ph

Phl, US to hold war games

By Jaime Laude
The Philippine Star, Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Philippines and the United States are set to embark on a joint naval exercise late this month, but officials said the tensions in the West Philippine Sea have nothing to do with the programmed war drill.

The military confirmed the holding of the joint naval exercises as China warned the US should not get involved in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea since “the US is not a party to the dispute.”

“The joint naval exercise will start on June 28 at the Naval Forces West (Navforwest),” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez said.

“It has been programmed since last year,” Rodriguez added. There has been no announcement yet of the specific location of the military exercises but Navforwest operates mainly in the Sulu Sea and nearby waters.

The planned naval exercise, called “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training” or CARAT, is in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US, officials said.

This year’s CARAT exercise is aimed at testing the capability of the two navies to undertake “freedom of navigation operations.”

Philippine military officials announced the coming naval maneuvers amid heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea stoked by alleged intrusions by Chinese vessels into Philippine waters and into disputed territories, particularly the Spratly Islands Group.

Vietnam earlier announced plans for a nine-hour live fire naval exercise tentatively set for tomorrow off central Quang Nam province, apparently in response to increased Chinese activities near the Spratlys.

The US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon is underway to participate in the CARAT.

Considered as one of the most powerful warships in the US Navy, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer left its home port at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii late last week and may now be in international waters near the Sulu Sea.

AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said the arrival of Chung-Hoon has nothing to do with the territorial spat with China.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said the US Navy vessel has yet to make contact and that it might have to complete a separate mission before sailing to the Philippines.

“There’s no need for them (Chung-Hoon officers) to coordinate with us their activities while they are still in international waters. They will inform us anyway once they reach port. Maybe they have other activities before CARAT,” Tonsay said.

He said the details of the coming joint naval war drill are still being worked out. “We are having a planning conference next week,” he said.

Counting on US

Malacañang, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the country can count on US support in defending its sovereignty but emphasized the preeminence of diplomacy in settling territorial disputes.

“We are committed to the resolution of the issue in the most diplomatic and the most peaceful way possible. I haven’t seen the terms of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) quite recently but I know that as an ally the United States will help should it reach that point because of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB.

She said the AFP leadership would likely take up the territorial issue in the upcoming Philippines-US Mutual Defense Board meeting in Hawaii in August, but she is not aware if President Aquino has specific instructions to Oban.

“As a security issue, that will depend entirely on Gen. Oban. But since it is a security issue, it is normal to talk about the issue in that kind of meeting, but I imagine one way or the other, it will be discussed,” Valte said.

China cautions US

China, meanwhile, cautioned the US to keep its hands off the issue.

“What should be done to settle the territorial dispute should be done on the basis of a bilateral term so the US is not a party to the dispute,” Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said during a forum on Thursday at the Chinese embassy.

“I understand its (US) concern which is really unnecessary, after all this maritime water has always been safe and peaceful,” Liu said.

“We’ve been all trying to make this area a peaceful, stable one and so far the navigation in this area has always been safe and peaceful. So there’s no excuse for an intervention in this area,” Liu said.

“The territorial dispute is a dispute between the claimant parties, not really with a country that’s outside this region that has no relevance to the territorial dispute in this region,” he added.

The ambassador also said any visit by Philippine lawmakers to the disputed territories would be tantamount to encroachment.

Also on Friday, the US said it is troubled by tensions in the South China Sea and urged countries with stakes in the region to work for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

“We’ve been troubled by some of these reports about the South China Sea and believe they only serve to raise tensions and don’t help with the peace and security of the region,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

“We support a collaborative diplomatic process... and call on all claimants to conform all of their claims, both land and maritime, to international law,” he said.

Rep. Neri Colmenares of the militant party-list group Bayan Muna, for his part, urged President Aquino yesterday not to involve the US in the Spratlys dispute.

He said the US has no business meddling in the Spratlys issue “because it is not part of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) or even Asia.”

“The forum for the resolution of the issue is ASEAN plus China,” he said.

He added that the Aquino administration should not accept excess defense equipment supposedly being dangled by the US in exchange for its being allowed to meddle in the Spratlys conflict.

Earlier, he urged the administration to elevate the Spratlys issue to ASEAN or the United Nations.

Let DFA do the talking

Sen. Francis Escudero said Aquino’s aides should refrain from issuing statements on the issue and let officials trained in diplomacy do the job.

Escudero, an ally of Aquino, was reacting to Valte’s declaration of confidence in US readiness - in accordance with the MDT - to help the country in the event of open hostilities with China.

Escudero said the DFA should do the talking “instead of the Palace through its spokesperson in order to avoid any faux pas on our part.”

“I urge Palace officials to carefully review the MDT and read through its fine print and get confirmations from the US government through its ambassador if indeed this situation is covered or what the limitations there may be to the application of the MDT from the point of view of the US government,” Escudero said.

Escudero said US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr., while calling for the full implementation of the 2002 Declaration of Conduct between China and ASEAN, also appealed for calm and stressed that Washington takes no side on the issue.

“I really am hopeful that this issue can be settled without bloodshed and if at all this should escalate, we really have an ally in the US not only as stipulated in the MDT but as a gesture of long-standing friendship,” Escudero said.

“The last thing we like to see happening is to be encouraged and to be emboldened to fight with an assurance of an ally but find ourselves alone in the field. Only because we did not do our own compliance, like checking what we really have in fine print with the US,” he added.

philstar.com

NCRCom to help PSG, PNP secure 113th Independence Day celebration

By Mario J Mallari
The Daily Tribune, Saturday, June 11, 2011

The military’s National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) will deploy 500 personnel to assist the Presidential Security Group and the Philippine National Police in securing the 113th Independence Day celebration tomorrow.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said aside from the 500 NCRCom troops to be deployed, the AFP also mobilized 300 follow on forces, three Civil Disturbance Management units and two communications teams on stand-by as possible reinforcements.

The AFP was primarily tasked to secure Rizal Park in Manila where a grand parade is scheduled; Monumento in Caloocan City and the Museleo de Veteranos de la Revolucion or the Manila North Cemetery.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines is in full participation as we rejoice together with the nation in commemorating the 113 years of our independence,” Oban said.

Parading elements composed of one battalion each from the Philippine Army, AFP General Headquarters, Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy and Composite Enlisted Women; two battalions from the Peacekeeping Contingent and 121 personnel from the AFP Band will join the Kalayaan Grand Parade.

More than a hundred military personnel will carry the Philippine Flag and the AFP Colors which consist of the AFP units’ flags. Rear Adm. Orwen J. Cortez will lead as the parading element’s troop commander.

The military component participating in the parade at Quirino Grandsatnd will be comprised of more than a thousand regular troops and cadets from the PMA.

The Philippine Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Team will also stage an exhibition to be followed by the PMA Silent Drill Company of Class 2013 at the Quirino Grandstand.

The AFP will also conduct a free public concert dubbed “Musikalayaan” or music for peace at the Open Air Auditorium in Rizal Park, Manila today to be participated in by the uniformed bands of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Naval Construction Brigade.

“In the spirit of the IPSP Bayanihan, these activities exemplify our expression of great pride of our beloved country and to always bear in our mind the continuous pursuance of protecting the Filipino nation’s freedom and sovereignty,” Oban said.

tribuneonline.org

AFP, PNP beef up security measures for Independence Day celeb

By Jell E. Guzman
PIA Press Release, Saturday, June 11, 2011

QUEZON CITY, June 11 (PIA) -– The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) is beefing up security measures in preparation for the celebration of the 113th Philippine Independence on Sunday, June 12, 2011.

AFP chief General Eduardo Oban said the whole Armed Forces rejoice with the nation in commemorating 113 years of Philippine independence.

PNP chief Raul M. Bacalzo also directed all police units to intensify police visibility, checkpoint operations, and mobile and foot patrol in accordance with the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS).

Around 500 personnel from the AFP’s National Capital Region Command (AFP NCRCOM) will be deployed to complement personnel from the PNP and Presidential Security Group (PSG) to ensure security in Rizal Park, Manila; Bonifacio National Monument, Caloocan; Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, San Juan; and Mauseleo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion, Manila North Cemetery.

Aside from the 500 AFP personnel that will be deployed, the AFP has also put on standby some 300 follow on forces, three Civil Disturbance Management (CMD) units, and two communications teams.

On Sunday, June 12, parading elements composed of one battalion each from the Philippine Army, AFP General Headquarters, Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy and Composite Enlisted Women; 2 battalions from the Peacekeeping Contingent and 121 personnel from the AFP Band will join the Kalayaan (freedom) Grand Parade.

Rear Admiral Orwen J. Cortez will lead the troop of more than 100 military personnel who will be carrying the Philippine Flag and the AFP Colors.

The AFP Philippine Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Team will have an exhibition to be followed by a silent drill to be performed by PMA Class of 2013 at the Quirino Grandstand.

Meanwhile, the AFP and the PNP will also hold a free public concert dubbed as “Musikalayaan” or music for peace at the Open Air Auditorium in Rizal Park, Manila on Saturday, June 11.

“In the spirit of the Bayanihan, these activities exemplify our expression of great pride of our beloved country, and to always bear in mind the continuous pursuance of protecting the Filipino nation’s freedom and sovereignty,” said Oban. (AFP/PIA-NCR/RJB/JEG)

pia.gov.ph

Soldiers march under rain to practice celebration parade for 113 Years of Freedom

By PNA
Balita, Friday, June 10, 2011

MANILA, June 9 –- Although drenched in the rain dumped by tropical depression “Dodong,” soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) services held their rehearsal Thursday for the military-civic parade set on Sunday afternoon at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila in celebration of the 133 years of Philippine freedom and sovereignty.

“The AFP is in full participation as we rejoice together with the nation in commemorating the 113 years of our independence,” AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo S.L. Oban Jr. said.

Following Thursday's rehearsal at the AFP General Headquarters parade grounds in Quezon City, another practice parade will be held at the Quirino Grandstand on Friday. This is part of AFP’s participation in the series of events that will highlight the June 12 celebration.

On Sunday, soldiers composed of one battalion each from the Philippine Army, AFP General Headquarters, Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy and Composite Enlisted Women, and two battalions from the Peacekeeping Contingent and 121 personnel from the AFP Band will join the Kalayaan (freedom) Grand Parade at the Quirino Grandstand.

There will be over 100 military personnel carrying the Philippine Flag and the AFP Colors which consist of the AFP units’ flags.

Rear Admiral Orwen J. Cortez will lead as the parading elements’ troop commander.

On the same day, the AFP Philippine Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Team will have an exhibition, to be followed by the PMA Silent Drill Company of Class 2013.

The AFP will also be conducting a free public concert dubbed as “Musikalayaan” or music for peace at the Open Air Auditorium in Rizal Park, Manila on June 11, to be participated in by the uniformed bands of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Naval Construction Brigade.

“In the spirit of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan, these activities exemplify our expression of great pride of our beloved country and to always bear in our mind the continuous pursuance of protecting the Filipino nation’s freedom and sovereignty,” Oban said.

balita.ph

Navy arrests 122 Vietnamese poachers

By Mario J. Mallari

The Daily Tribune, Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Arrested Vietnamese poachers, aboard seven fishing vessels, off the waters of Palawan province last Monday reportedly hoisted Philippine Flags to their boats, apparently to avoid being monitored as intruders by government security forces patrolling the area.

A total of 122 Vietnamese fishermen are now under custody of the Balabac Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Palawan after Navy sea borne patrol, led by Maj. Ferdinand Atos of the Naval Station Balabac, caught them within the country’s territorial waters off Balabac.

Aboard F/V Z-M 001, 0002, 003, 004, 005, 006 and 007, the Vietnamese were reportedly caught hoisting Philippine Flags while fishing.

Western Command (Wescom) spokesman Maj. Niel Estrella said that the Navy troops initially inquired for identification from the Vietnamese but could not answer back.

“The encroaching Vietnamese vessels were found to be flying Philippine flags but when our sea borne patrol approached for verification and identification purposes, the crew members could not speak Tagalog,” Estrella said.

The Navy operatives, along with members of the Balabac MPS, subsequently apprehended the Vietnamese and brought them to the local police headquarters.

The latest intrusion in the country’s territorial waters off Palawan province happened while Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. were visiting Wescom.

Gazmin’s short visit to Wescom was prompted by recent reports of intrusion by unidentified jet fighters within Philippine-occupied territories at the disputed Spratly group of islands on South China Sea.

The Defense chief instructed AFP troops to remain vigilant in conducting air and sea patrol along the country’s territorial waters.

Gazmin’s visit also came after the visit of Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie amid tension brought about by the reported buzzing of alleged Chinese MIG-29 jetfighters against Philippine Air Force OV-10 Broncos. The Chinese official denied having MIG29s in their inventory.

Only last March, two Chinese patrol boats harassed a Department of Energy exploration vessel at the Philippine-occupied Reed Bank on the disputed Spratlys on South China Sea, which are being claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Tribuneonline.org