Flagship ng Phl Navy, tutungo ng Scarborough

By Bombo Radyo ng Pilipinas, Friday, June 17, 2011

LA UNION – Sa kabila ng namumuong tensyon sa Spratly Islands, magsasagawa ngayong araw ng pagpapatrolya sa Scarborough Shoal ang Philippine Navy gamit ang flagship at pinakamalaking warship na BRP Rajah Humabon.

Sa panayam ng Bombo Radyo La Union kay Commander Celestino Abalayan, sinabi nito na magtutungo ang kanyang hukbo sa Scarborough upang malaman ang kalagayan ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas at nais rin nilang maipakita sa mga karatig-bansa na nagsasagawa rin ang mga ito ng territorial defense operations.

Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa Poro Point, lungsod ng San Fernando, La Union ang BRP Rajah Humabon at anumang oras mamayang hapon ay magtutungo na ito sa naturang isla.

Mananatili umano doon ng dalawa hanggang tatlong oras ang nasabing barko upang mag-obserba para sa seguridad ng bansa at pagkatapos ay muli itong babalik sa Naval Base Cavite.

Nilinaw ni Abalayan na ang kanilang pagbisita sa Scarborough Shoal ay walang kinalaman sa isyu sa Spratly Islands at bahagi lang ito ng kanilang routine patrol sa West Philippine Sea.

Ang Scarborough Shoal ay matagpuan sa West Philippine Sea, 198 kilometer mula sa kanluran ng Subic Bay at may lawak itong 150 square kilometers.

Maliban sa Pilipinas ay inaangkin din ng bansang China ang Scarborough Shoal kung saan pinaniniwalaang sagana sa mga yamang-dagat ang lugar.

bomboradyo.com

Mga dayong “marker” sa teritoryo ng Pinas, binaklas ng Navy

By JP Salarzon/AFP

Abante, Thursday, June 16, 2011

Simula pa noong Mayo ay pinagbabaklas na ng Philippine Navy ang mga “foreign” markers sa tatlong reefs at banks ng pinag-aagawang mga isla sa West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Napag-alaman kay Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, ginawa nila ang pagbabaklas sa mga “naligaw” na markers ng mga dayuhan noon pang nakaraang buwan bago protestahin ang umiinit ngayong “illegal” na pagtawid diumano ng Chinese Navy sa Filipino territorial waters.

“They were foreign markers because they were not installed by our military or our government. So we dismantled them because they are part of Philippine territory,” ani Tonsay sa panayam ng Agence France Presse.

Kamakailan lang ay inakusahan ng Pilipinas ang China ng pagtatayo ng mga poste at ng isang ‘buoy’ sa katubigang inaangkin ng Pilipinas pero hindi naman matiyak ni Tonsay kung mga Chinese markers ang pinagbabaklas nila.

“They did not have a ‘Made in China’ label or anything,” anang koronel na nagsabing mga numero lang ang nakasulat sa tinibag nilang mga “foreign” markers.

Samantala, tiniyak naman ng Philippine Navy na hindi sila tutulad sa Vietnam, isa ring claimant sa Spratlys, na nagsagawa ng “live fire” exercise sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo.

“We are not governed by what other countries do. We have our own. Just because Vietnam did it, hence we will also do it, no. We have our own strategy. Such case is situational aside from the fact that we have our own programs on the things we are doing,” ani Navy chief Admiral Alexander Pama.

Noong araw ng Martes, nagsagawa ang Vietnam ng live fire exercises sa loob ng kanilang inaaring isla sa Spratlys sa gitna ng umiinit na isyu na posibleng madulot ng pagsiklab ng labanan ng mga bansang nakikipag-agawan sa mga isla, kasama ang China.

Kaugnay nito, kinumpirma ni Pama na tinanggal na ng Navy ang mga istrukturang inilagay ng China sa loob ng KIG (Kalayaan Island Group), tawag ng Pilipinas sa inaangking parte ng Spratlys.

“Lumabas naman na ata e ‘yung mga tinanggal natin, pero gusto ko muna na magpaalam sa taas para wala tayong masagasaan,” ani Pama, hinggil sa pag­lalabas ng mga nakuhang litrato ng mga istruktura.

abante.com.ph

Philippine Navy removes foreign markers

Tempo, Thursday, June 16,2011

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines said its Navy had removed “‘foreign”’ markers installed on three reefs and banks in disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea.

The removal of the wooden posts took place in May, just before the government formally protested over alleged incursions by the Chinese navy in Filipino territorial waters, Philippine Navy spokesperson Lieutenant- Colonel Omar Tonsay said. “They were foreign markers because they were not installed by our military or our government. So we dismantled them because they are part of Philippine territory,” Tonsay told AFP.

The Philippine government has recently accused China of putting posts and a buoy in Filipino- claimed waters, but Tonsay said the Navy had not been able to determine who placed the wooden posts that it removed in May.

“They did not have a ‘Made in China’ label or anything,” Tonsay said, adding the posts had only numbers on them.

The markers were on Boxall Reef in the Spratly Islands, and in the nearby Amy Douglas Bank and Reed Bank, all of which are in waters of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines and China.

Aside from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping territorial claims to strategically vital and reputedly resource-rich areas of the South China Sea.

Tensions over the long-running dispute have escalated in recent months amid assertions by the Philippines and Vietnam that China has become increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the areas.

The Philippines this month accused China of undermining peace and stability in Asia by allegedly sending naval vessels near Reed Bank to intimidate rival claimants, and of installing posts and a buoy in nearby areas.

The Philippines also protested over incidents in February to May, accusing the Chinese navy of opening fire on Filipino fishermen and intimidating a Philippine oil exploration ship.

Raising tensions further, President Aquino said on Tuesday that his country needed help from longtime ally the United States in its dispute with China. Chinese embassy spokespersons in Manila did not answer telephone calls on Wednesday about the foreign markers.

A spokesperson at the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the naval action.

tempo.com.ph

Philippines pulls Spratlys ‘foreign’ posts

By Donna Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Thursday, June 16,2011

The Philippine Navy removed “foreign” markers installed on three reefs and banks in disputed isles off Palawan in May and foiled an attempt last week to reestablish them, officials said on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay on Wednesday told Agence France-Presse that the removal of the wooden posts last month took place just before Manila protested the alleged incursions by the Chinese Navy into Philippine waters.

“These were foreign markers because they were not installed by our military or our government. So we dismantled the markers because they are part of Philippine territory,” the Philippine Navy spokesperson told the French news agency.

Manila has accused Beijing of putting posts and a buoy in Philippine waters, but Tonsay said the Navy had not been able to determine who placed the wooden posts.

“They did not have a ‘Made in China’ label or anything,” Tonsay said, adding the posts had only numbers on them.

The markers were on Iroquois (Amy Douglas) Bank, Recto (Reed) Bank and Boxall Reef, all in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), he said.

“On June 5 again it was reported that our local fishermen found another marker,” said Commodore Edgardo Tamayo, commander of the Naval Forces West based in Palawan.

“I directed our patrol boat to check on the veracity of the report, and that was in Boxall Reef, only about 20 nautical miles [37 kilometers] away from Ayungin Shoal,” Tamayo said in a phone interview.

He said his forces had dismantled the marker on the reef, a Philippine Navy-occupied islet within the chain of islands that the Philippines collectively calls the Kalayaan Island Group. It is located 194 km (105 nautical miles) from mainland Palawan.

Defensive position

In Puerto Princesa City, Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban told the Palawan provincial board that the Armed Forces of the Philippines would take a defensive position if challenged by China.

“We will fire only when fired upon. That is our rule of engagement,” the Western Command chief said on Tuesday, reacting to questions from board members about China’s reported plan to explore for oil in the region.

“In terms of military capability, we are very limited that is why we employ diplomatic means to resolve issues with China,” Sabban later told reporters.

The discovery of the marker in Boxall Reef came in the heels of the discovery on May 24 of steel posts, a buoy and other building materials laid out by Chinese vessels in Iroquois Reef, which the Philippines claims to be within its 370-km (200-nautical-mile) exclusive economic zone.

Manila filed a diplomatic protest over the Iroquois Reef incident, saying China “aggressively violated” the 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The 2002 nonbinding agreement signed by member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) and China urges the claimant states to exercise restraint and avoid activities that might escalate tension, such as construction of military facilities and holding war games.

The Spratlys is claimed in whole or in part by six nations—the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

No markings

Tamayo said Filipino fishermen saw activity in Boxall Reef during the first few days of June and then reported to the Navy on June 5 that they had spotted a marker.

“Our floating assets saw and confirmed the marker, the same marker that was found at Amy Douglas. That marker has the same description,” he said.

He said the marker was about 10 feet long and about four inches wide and likened it to a flat bar.

“This was confirmed to be found at the Boxall Reef,” he said, adding the marker was dismantled on June 6.

“We pulled out the marker to serve as evidence to prove that we saw that in that place,” Tamayo added.

“We did not see any markings that will tell us (it came from the) Chinese, (nor) any Chinese characters. So I surmise it is suspected from foreign origin. According to our informants, they suspect it to be Chinese because at that time they witnessed while it is being laid out,” he said.

Code of conduct

Tamayo said the Philippine Navy subscribed to the intention of the Declaration of Conduct to avoid any conflict.

“Personally I should say that following the intention of the conduct, supposedly we should be on status quo, meaning to say that we avoid putting up any particular structures like markers that would raise tension or raise conflict. That was the intention of the code of conduct.

A spokesperson at the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the naval action, but Malacañang was heaving a sigh of relief following a statement by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei that Beijing did not intend to use force in the Spratlys controversy.

“It is something that we will certainly welcome so at least we have in the region an assurance that no use of force will be necessary to resolve the situation here,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters.

newsinfo.inquirer.net

Philippine Navy dismantles Chinese marker in Spratly reef

By Windsor Genova

All Headline News, June 15, 2011

The Philippine Navy said Tuesday it has dismantled a suspected Chinese marker found by local fishermen at a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The marker taken down at the Boxall Reef was a flat bar measuring 10 feet long and 4 inches wide, according to Naval Forces West commander Commodore Edgardo Tamayo.

The reef is 105 nautical miles from Palawan Island and falls within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone. It is 20 nautical miles from Ayungin Shoal, which is occupied by the Philippine Navy.

Tamayo said the marker was the same steel post found and dismantled earlier by the navy at Amy Douglas Bank.

On May 24, steel posts, a buoy and other building materials were laid out by Chinese vessels in the said reef. Manila subsequently filed a diplomatic protest with China, claiming the foreign activities violated the 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The declaration, to which China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are parties, urges claimants to the islands to refrain from constructing military facilities and conducting war games in the disputed archipelago to avoid tension. The declaration, however, is non-binding.

allheadlines.com

RP-US naval exercises in Palawan

By Aaron Recuenco

Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the rising tension over the disputed Spratly Islands, the naval forces of the United States and the Philippines will be holding almost two weeks of military war games off Palawan late this month.

But Marines Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, Navy spokesman, said the joint military exercises are not a show of force with the country’s long-time ally, although the site of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) for this year is proximate to the disputed island group.

“This is not related to that issue, this has been planned long before,” said Tonsay.

The Spratlys controversy cropped anew after the Philippines accused China of bullying and intruding in the disputed island groups which was backed up by another claimantcountry, Vietnam.

While the Philippines and Vietnam have been very vocal on the alleged bullying, it was Vietnam which reportedly started live-fire exercises near the disputed island group.

Tonsay would not confirm Vietnam’s live-fire drill, but stressed that no live-fire exercises are scheduled in the joint exercises between US and Philippines navies from June 28 to July 8.

What were initially listed, he revealed, are diving exercises, salvage exercises at sea, and sea training exercise, among others.

But even if there would be live-fire exercises, Tonsay stressed that other claimant-countries should not intervene for as long as they are held in international waters and within their respective territories.

“It (Vietnam live-fire drill) is not a provocative action, it is not a threat to security for as long as it is held in international waters or within its territory,” said Tonsay.

“In the same way that they are not supposed to take actions if we hold exercises within our territorial waters, all they could do is to monitor,” he added.

He said the CARAT activities is definitely not a provocative action on the part of the Philippines since both the US and the Philippines have been holding the exercises for 10 years now.

It was not clear, however, if this year’s CARAT will be held off Palawan for the first time. All that Tonsay could confirm is that CARAT activities are rotated in various parts of the country since it began 10 years ago.

“The objective is interoperability, our ability to operate with the US and vice versa and exchange of doctrinal and tactical best practices,” said Tonsay.

Tonsay revealed that three US ships will participate in the war games—USNS Safeguard, USS Howard and USS Chung Hoon— and will be joined by four Philippine Navy ships.

mb.com.ph

Navy removes China markers on West Philippine Sea

By Ces Oreña Drilon and Willard Cheng

ABS-CBN News, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Navy has removed markers in the West Philippine Sea that were placed by Chinese forces.

One was removed from the Reed Bank, which is now known as Recto Bank, one was taken from the Boxall Reef, while another from Douglas Bank.

The markers were placed by China without permission.

Meanwhile, Chinese and Vietnamese poachers are often sighted by villagers in Barangay Simpokan, Puerto Princesa, whose shores face the disputed Spratlys.

However, barangay officials, armed with only one patrol boat, can't go after them.

The Philippine Air Force recently observed Chinese and Vietnamese forces upgrading their facilities on the Spratly Islands.

In August, a second-hand ship from the U.S. Coast Guard will augment Philippine Navy forces in Palawan.

U.S. support for Philippines

The U.S. has also waded in on the Spratlys dispute.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas said being a treaty ally, America will support the Philippines.

"I wanna assure you that on all subjects, we, the United States, are with the Philippines. The Philippines and the United States are strategic treaty allies," he said. "We will continue to consult and work with each other on all issues including the South China Sea and Spratly Islands."

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao earlier said Washington should not interfere in the issue, since it is not a party to the Spratlys dispute.

This was echoed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei after Vietnam also asked the U.S. for help.

The U.S., however, did not categorically state if its support would include military aid if the tension gives way to armed conflict.

President Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, is happy with Thomas' statement.

Aquino is insisting on the Philippines' right to search for oil within its territory.

He invoked the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that states a country's territory extends 200 nautical miles from its shores.

Recto Bank is 80 nautical miles from Palawan, and is 576 miles away from China.

"So 576 is obviously greater than 200. So suddenly why should there be a dispute if we are conforming to international law?" Aquino asked.

"Siyempre they are a superpower, they have more than 10 times our population, we do not want any hostility to break out. Perhaps the presence of our treaty partner, which is the United States of America, ensures that all of us will have freedom of navigation."

The Philippines and China, however, both reiterate that they would like to peacefully settle the Spratlys dispute.

abs-cbnnews.com

Spratlys row a test of Philippine president's mettle

By Amando Doronila
Philippina Daily Inquirer, Monday, June 13,2011

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The celebration on Sunday (June 12) of the 113th anniversary of Philippine independence was resonant with the theme of national sovereignty, but it was drowned out by messages concerning the territorial conflict over disputed islands in the South China Sea, including those claimed by the Philippines.

The messages also raised the first foreign policy challenge to the mettle of the Aquino administration to defend Philippine territorial claims to the Spratly Islands.

The first message emanates from the warning by China that the United States should not get involved in the disputes over the Spratly Islands since it is "not a party to the dispute".

The warning came as the Philippines and the United States prepare to hold joint naval exercises starting on June 28 at an undisclosed site where the Philippines' Naval Forces West (Navforwest) operates. The site is believed to be in the Sulu Sea and nearby waters.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines' spokesperson, Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez, said the exercises, called "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" (Carat), had been programmed since last year.

Officials said the exercises were in accordance with the 1951 Philippines-US Mutual Defence Treaty and aimed at testing the capabilities of the two navies to undertake "freedom of navigation operations".

Heightened tensions

The exercises are going to take place amid heightening tensions in what the Philippines calls the "West Philippine Sea" and the others call the "South China Sea" fueled by Philippine protests over alleged intrusions by Chinese vessels into Philippine territorial waters.

The second message: Against claims by Philippine military authorities that the exercises were planned within the framework of the defence treaty, the United States was less reassuring of military aid if the conflict escalates into an armed confrontation between the Philippines and China.

The US Embassy issued a statement on Saturday (June 11) in reaction to a Malacanang (the presidential palace) statement expressing confidence that Washington would honour its commitment under the defence treaty to come to the aid of an endangered ally.

"The US does not take sides in regional territorial disputes," said US Embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson.

Thompson said the United States was "troubled by incidents in the South China Sea in recent days that have raised tensions in the region" and that Washington opposed "the threat of force" by any of the countries with rival claims on the Spratlys.

No automatic clause

The defence treaty is nebulous on the circumstances in which the United States would come in to defend an ally against armed attack. It merely says the treaty partners "declare publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack".

There is no automatic US intervention clause to aid attacked allies, and amateur spokespersons in Malacanang are extremely naive to expect automatic US intervention if the conflict escalates into war.

At a security forum in Singapore on June 4, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned that clashes may erupt in the South China Sea unless nations with conflicting claims adopt mechanisms to settle disputes peacefully.

At the same forum, Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin warned that "actions by other states... unnecessarily make other states like the Philippines worried and concerned". He said such a sense of insecurity also results when ordinary fishermen are warned by foreign vessels to leave the area.

news.yahoo.com

Joint PH-US navy training off Palawan all set for end of June

By Philippine News Agency, Monday, June 13, 2011

Amid rising tensions off Palawan and in the South China Sea, the Philippine Navy said it is all set for an annual naval training exercise with the United States Navy, slated for June 28 to July 8, off Palawan shorelines.

The joint training exercise, dubbed Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training or CARAT, is mandated under the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty. This year’s exercise will be held east of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and in Sulu Sea.

CARAT 2011 is a combined naval tactical operations exercise involving fleet forces of both the Philippine and U.S. navies.

PN spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Omar Tonsay said the exercise is not related to the dispute on Spratly islands. “We’ve been doing this (for more than a decade), so there’s no politics here,” he stressed.

Several activities, including non-military events, are lined up for the exercise. These include community relations projects and medical/dental/engineering civic action projects in host communities.

Tonsay told reporters CARAT’s goal is to strengthen the cooperation between the PHL and U.S. navies in thwarting intercontinental and trans-border crimes, piracy and maritime terrorism which are growing concerns of the global community.

He said CARAT has been done for more than 10 years already. Last year, it was held off Zambales province.
Tonsay said he does not have the figures yet on how many troops and number of ships will be deployed for CARAT 2011, but the U.S. Navy is sending USS Chung Hoon, USS Howard and USNS Safeguard.

interaksyon.com

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