ARMED Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said next year’s “Balikatan” exercise between United States and Philippine troops will focus more on maritime training than the usual land-based activities.
With the shift, Brawner said, next year’s annual exercise will require fewer participants.
“From 17,000 (this year), it’s going to be 16,000 only (for next year),” Brawner said in a recent interview.
This year’s Balikatan exercise involved 17,600 troops from both sides, including 12,000 US service members. It was the biggest in terms of participants since the inception of the Balikatan in the 1990s. Held in April, it also featured a first-ever, ship-sinking exercise off Zambales, fronting the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Balikatan is the largest among the many exercises held annually by US and Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.
“We are shifting focus to maritime which is not manpower intensive,” Brawner said. “Before, it’s focused on Army, land-based which required many troops. Now, with the shift to maritime, the ships (that will be used) require no additional personnel. The crew that’s assigned (to these ships), that’s all you need.”
Brawner acknowledged that Balikatan next year will give emphasis to Navy training activities but did not give details.
“Suffice it say, it will be focused more on maritime,” he said.
US and Filipino military officials last month agreed to pursue some 500 military activities next year, slightly higher compared to this year. The activities include engagements such as subject matter exchanges, meetings, and planning conferences.
“There is an increase in maritime, joint sail, joint exercises, cyber. It’s going to be unlike before when our focus is land-based (training). It’s no longer the case,” he said.
Brawner yesterday said China is “dreaming,” after its renewed declaration that Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal, is part of its territory.
Contrary to China’s position, Brawner said, the Philippines has jurisdiction over the shoal which is some 124 nautical miles from Zambales and well within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“They are really dreaming if they think (that area in the) South China Sea is theirs. We are insisting that that is not theirs,” said Brawner.
“That area, Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, is inside our exclusive economic zone,” Brawner also said.
He was reacting to a statement made Tuesday by China Coast Guard that it drove away a Philippine Navy ship from the shoal which the Chinese call as Huangyan Island. The CCG said the Philippine Navy ship ignored “repeated dissuasion and warning and insisted on intruding into the waters adjacent to China’s Huangyan Island.”
Brawner on Tuesday dismissed the CCG claim as “propaganda.” He said the Philippine Navy ship was merely “challenged” by the Chinese while on a routine maritime patrol and continued its course.
Yesterday, Brawner said the Philippine Navy challenged the Chinese back. “We told them (Chinese) we were on maritime patrol mission and we told them to leave and not to bloc our maritime patrol.”
“The Philippine Navy boat continued with its patrol. It’s not true that we were driven away by the Chinese Coast Guard. I think that’s just a propaganda of the China Coast Guard,” said Brawner.
China gained control of the shoal after a standoff with Philippine government vessels in 2012. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipino fishermen from fishing inside the shoal.
Brawner also said the military has not monitored any structure put up by the Chinese at the shoal and reiterated a plan of the Armed Forces to improve nine features occupied by Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea.
“We need to develop the islands and other features that we are occupying… We are going to strengthen our defense positions in these islands (areas),” he said.
Brawner also said the military is improving facilities at the BRP Sierra Madre which is grounded at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal.
“We are improving the habitability of the ship. Of course, we don’t want to put at risk the lives of our soldiers there due to their living conditions at Ayungin Shoal,” he said.
