US uses Safeguard for training in West PH Sea

By ABS-CBN News, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Navy units from the Philippines, United States and other Southeast Asian nations are doing training exercises in the West Philippine Sea, more popularly known as the South China Sea, amid territorial tensions in the area.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said the training, called Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), is only meant “to enhance interoperability and share practices.”

The other delegates are from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei and Malaysia are also involved in the South China Sea territorial dispute.

Tonsay said the Philippine Navy has deployed three ships for the training.

The US, on the other hand, will be using the USNS Safeguard, which is a rescue and salvage ship.

"They will participate together with the US Navy in a scenario-driven fleet training exercise against terrorism, transnational crimes and other maritime threats which focuses on real time information exchange, coordinated surveillance operations, tracking, and eventual conduct of Visit Board Search and Seizure to the maritime Contact of Interest,” Tonsay said.

He explained the SEACAT is an annual event, with the venue determined in advance.

"Venues have been determined in advance during coordinated planning sessions and are finalized following confirmation from all participating navies. This exercise aims to promote regional coordination, information sharing and interoperability in a multilateral environment," said Tonsay.

abs-cbnnews.com

Philippines joins SE Asia, US in naval drills

By Xinhua

The Brunei Times, Wednesday, June 15, 2011

THE Philippine Navy has joined navy units of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the US for a 10-day annual exercise starting yesterday to enhance interoperability and share best practices.

According to Navy Captain Sebastian Pan, the exercise director, the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) will take place in Malacca Strait, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea until June 24.Pan said the navy units of the five Southeast Asian countries together with the US Navy will participate in a scenario-driven fleet training exercise against terrorism, transnational crimes and other maritime threats."This activity will involve surface, air, and special operations units in the conduct of surveillance, tracking, and boarding of the COI from the different participating navies within their respective maritime territories," he said. Exercise SEACAT is an annual combined exercise conducted at vital sea lanes in Southeast Asia to ensure control of sea lanes from terrorists, poachers, and transnational lawless elements.Venues have been determined in advance during coordinated planning sessions and are finalised following confirmation from all participating navies. This exercise aims to promote regional coordination, information sharing and interoperability in a multilateral environment.

bruneitimes.com.bn

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

Philippines removes markers from disputed waters

By Al

AFP News, Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Philippines said Wednesday its navy had removed "foreign" markers installed on three reefs and banks in disputed areas of the South China 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 spokesman 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," Lieutenant-Colonel Omar 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, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said on Tuesday that his country needed help from longtime ally the United States in its dispute with China.

Chinese embassy spokesmen in Manila did not answer telephone calls on Wednesday about the foreign markers.

A spokesman at the Philippines' foreign department declined to comment on the naval action.

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