US, 6 Southeast Asian nations start exercise on vital sea lanes

By Donna Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Monday, June 20, 2011

Multilateral naval exercises among the Philippines, United States and five other Southeast Asian nations in the region’s vital sea lanes will proceed to the exercise proper on Monday, officials said.

This year’s Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (Seacat) field training exercise would be held in “strategic points” along vital sea lanes stretching along the Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea and the Malacca Strait.

It is participated in by the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United States.

The US-initiated Seacat is an annual exercise among the Navy units in the region meant to enhance interoperability and share tactical and doctrinal best practices in the fight against terrorists, poachers and transnational lawless elements in the region’s sea lanes.

The 10-day Seacat exercise started on June 14 with the command post exercise in preparation for the exercise proper.

The field training exercise (FTX) will be held on June 20-23, the Philippine Navy said.

Three Philippine Navy ships and their counterparts will track down, do surveillance and interdict a ship designated as the “contact of interest” which for this year is the USS Safeguard, a rescue and salvage ship.

The Philippine Navy exercise director, Capt. Franco Sebastian Pan, said the exercise would involve surface, air and special operations units from the different participating Navies within their territories.

Pan said a maritime interdiction operations scenario that included three boarding simulations would take place in the Philippine exercise area in the Sulu and Celebes Seas.

This year’s Seacat exercise is centered on Changi, Singapore, where the exercise command and control facility is located.

A battle staff from each participating Navy is organized in their respective navy headquarters to monitor all the activities of the exercise.

The multilateral Seacat exercise is held back-to-back with a bilateral naval exercise between the Philippines and the United States in the Sulu Sea.

This year’s Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) exercise with the United States is set from June 28 to July 8 in the Sulu Sea east of Palawan and comes amid tension between the Philippines and China over the contested Spratly chain of islands in the West Philippine Sea.

A Navy spokesperson, however, said the details of the two annual exercises were arranged beforehand.

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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

Manila downplays naval exercises in West Philippine Sea

By Agence France Presse

Interaksyon, Saturday, June 18,2011

MANILA - The Philippine military on Saturday sought to downplay the significance of recent Chinese naval exercises in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), amid mounting tensions over territorial disputes in the area.

The Philippine Navy itself would conduct 11 days of joint exercises with its US counterpart from June 28, Philippine armed forces spokesman Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez noted, citing a previously announced drill.

"It's normal for navies to conduct drills. The Philippine Navy does them all the time," Rodriguez added.

"We hope someday we can exercise with the Chinese navy."

Chinese state media reported on Friday that China had recently staged three days of military exercises in the South China Sea and planned to boost its offshore maritime patrol force.

The Philippines has competing claims with China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei over potentially resource-rich areas in the South China Sea.

The Philippines said Friday it would send its ageing navy flagship into disputed South China Sea waters.

Tensions in the long-running dispute over the area have flared in recent months amid allegations by the Philippines and Vietnam that China has become increasingly aggressive in staking its territorial claims.

The Philippines accused China this month of sending naval vessels to intimidate rival claimants around the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Manila also accused China of installing posts and a buoy in nearby areas, opening fire on Filipino fishermen and intimidating a Philippine oil exploration ship with a patrol vessel.

China has maintained throughout the flare-up that its has sole sovereignty over the waters, but that it intends to resolve the dispute peacefully.

interaksyon.com

PH: We are not picking a fight with anyone, but …

By DJ Yap

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Friday, June 17, 2011

The defense department on Thursday said the removal by the Philippines of foreign markers from areas it claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) was a reminder to rival claimants to stay away from those areas but stressed it had no intention of picking a fight with anybody.

Defense Undersecretary Eduardo Batac, who is also the department’s spokesperson, said the Philippine Navy’s action was not meant to stir up trouble but a way to send the message that the Philippines was serious in protecting its territorial integrity.

“We are not picking a fight with anyone, and we do not want to aggravate the matter considering that there have been encouraging statements from China that they would not resort to military force,” Batac said in a phone interview.

“But we would like to remind them, as part of the (code of conduct), that no uninhabited island in the Spratly chain should be inhabited,” he said.

The code is a nonbinding set of guidelines signed in 2002 by China, the Philippines and four other nations claiming ownership of all or some of the isles and reefs in the area to settle their dispute peaceably. It urges claimants to refrain from any action that might escalate tension.

The disputed sea is believed to be potentially rich in oil and minerals.

The Philippine Navy earlier said it removed “foreign” markers installed on three reefs and banks in the Spratlys in May and foiled another attempt last week to reestablish them.

Basis of protest

Asked if such an action would have implications on the dispute, Batac said: “Hopefully not … The Navy took down those markers so they can be used [in our protest over] the incursions. They could belong to China, but we still have no confirmation.”

The Philippines and China have been embroiled in a word war over alleged Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory the past several weeks.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has cited at least six such intrusions. China dismissed the allegation as based on rumor.

In a briefing with reporters, Batac said: “The message is we’re still trying to get China to explain what happened. Our position is that these areas are well within our exclusive economic zone.”

He said it was important to keep calm, noting that some intrusions might have a valid reason, such as Vietnamese vessels taking shelter from a storm.

“Part of the declaration of conduct is to offer aid to those in danger and in distress,” Batac said.

Navy patrols

The Navy chief, Vice Adm. Alexander Pama, said in a radio interview the Navy would continue its patrols in the area, particularly around territories claimed by the Philippines.

“We would like to emphasize that this is within our exclusive economic zone and it is in our mandate to protect these waters,” Pama said.

Batac said on the phone that the defense department preferred that the Spratlys dispute be resolved at the level of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plus China,” as opposed to China’s insistence on a bilateral approach.

Talks with Clinton

China is wary of intervention by outside powers, particularly the United States.

China’s use of its economic and military power to assert its claims to the Spratlys will most likely be one of the “main talking points” at next week’s meeting in Washington between Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said a senior Philippine diplomat.

Manila’s “rules-based approach” to settling the dispute will also be discussed, said the source, who asked not to be identified because he has no authority to speak openly on the issue.

Del Rosario will be in Washington from June 20 to 24.

Del Rosario last week said that “where there are disputes, rules provide an effective tool for peaceful and fair resolution.”

The other Spratlys claimants are Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The markers removed by the Navy were on Iroquois (Amy Douglas) Bank, Recto (Reed) Bank and Boxall Reef, all in the West Philippine Sea.

Joint exploration

The Philippine claims ownership of several isles in the West Philippine Sea which it collectively calls the Kalayaan Island Group, located 425 kilometers (230 nautical miles) west of Palawan.

Former Speaker Jose de Venecia has proposed that the Philippines, China and Vietnam revive a 2005 oil and gas exploration agreement to ease tension in the Spratlys, but Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang on Thursday said “it’s premature to talk about that right now.”

“We have yet to make clear with all other countries what our territory is and what are considered disputed. We still have a lot of things to settle,” Carandang said.

He said the Philippines also needed to first iron out pending issues, such as the code of conduct.

“Ultimately, what we do want to see is a way that the resources in the disputed areas can be jointly explored and jointly exploited by the different claimants. But it’s far ahead into the future,” Carandang said.

President Aquino on Thursday used Manila’s recent spat with China over the Spratlys to underline the need to boost tax collection efforts so the government would have enough funds for its projects, including upgrading the military’s hardware.

Addressing the Court of Tax Appeals on its 57th founding anniversary, Mr. Aquino said: “In developing the capacity of the military, we’d no longer be easily scolded by other countries in times of disagreements such as the dispute in the West Philippine Sea.” With a report from Jerry E. Esplanada and Norman Bordadora

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