Expanded US access seen to further anger China
THE United States and Philippine armed forces are eyeing additional sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a development that is expected to further anger China.
Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the US Pacific Command who is on a visit to the country, disclosed the plan after a meeting with Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
Aquilino and Brawner led the annual meeting of the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board, which they co-chair, and discussed military activities for next year and other issues.
“General Brawner and I may make recommendations to our senior leaders for the consideration of additional sites but there is still work to do there,” said Aquilino.
“We are in discussions but everyone has a boss and we both have bosses so we’ll have those conversations, I think, in private and give our bosses some decision space on how they’d like to go forward,” he also said.
There are nine EDCA sites inside Philippine military facilities where the Americans are allowed to construct structures for prepositioning of assets needed for bilateral exercises and responding to emergency situations.
Five of the EDCA sites were approved during the Aquino administration. These are Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.
The four others were approved during the Marcos administration and announced last April — Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Isabela, Balabac Island in Palawan, and Lal-lo Airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias, both in Cagayan.
China has protested the additional EDCA sites. It said the US intends to use the additional sites to interfere in situations in the Taiwan Strait and advance its “geopolitical goals.” The four additional sites approved are located close to potential flashpoints for China, as three faced north towards Taiwan and one was near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing recently sparred over a disputed atoll.
Aquilino, Brawner and other officials of the two armed forces on Wednesday visited three of the sites — Basa Air Base, Lal-lo airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias.
Brawner said the selection of EDCA sites “has nothing to do with the other countries in the Indo-Pacific region, meaning the threats that could come out from these countries.”
He said humanitarian assistance and disaster response is the primary consideration of the selection of these sites.
‘EXPANSIONIST POLICY’
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr said it is China, not United States, that is causing the escalation of tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea.
Teodoro made the remarks after Sen. Robin Padilla on Tuesday said US presence in the country was the reason of the escalation of the conflict in the disputed area.
“I respectfully disagree,” Teodoro said in a TV interview when asked to comment on Padilla’s pronouncement.
“It is the expansionist policy of China that is actually escalating the tensions. Their 10-dash line (claim in the South China Sea) is the best proof that they want to escalate the tensions within the area,” he said.
Teodoro said there was nothing wrong with a US surveillance plane flying over Ayungin Shoal last September 8 during a military resupply mission.
Chinese vessels subjected to dangerous maneuvers two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and two military-chartered boats out to deliver supplies to Filipino troops. The supply boats outmaneuvered the Chinese vessels and accomplished its mission.
“That’s international space, there is freedom of overflight over the international airspace, not withstanding Ayungin Shoal is Philippine territory,” said Teodoro.
Security officials have said the flight, cleared by the defense and military establishments, merely observed and did not directly participate in the resupply mission.
Teodoro said the “real issue” is Chinese harassment.
“They do not recognize our 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone, they do not recognize our other claims. We are not trying to contain China but enforcing international law which is on our side,” said Teodoro.
“Now, China keeps on saying that we are containing them. If you use the word contain, that means to say you have an intension to expand. So its disingenuous for them to use that term,” said Teodoro.
US ASSISTANCE
Teodoro said the defense and military establishments are not relying on US help in the conduct of resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.
“The water cannoning (incident last August 5) proves that we are not leaning too much on the US because if we lean too much on the US, we would have them to escort us, which we don’t want to do,” said Teodoro.
“We want to do things our way and we want a balanced foreign policy,” added Teodoro.
Teodoro said the Philippine government is open to a dialogue with China “so long as there is a framework for proper engagement and that is international law and not keep on talking and talking without getting anywhere while they continue to expand their influence in the South China Sea and perhaps beyond.”
“It’s easy for us, hopefully, to do things very peacefully, where we can exploit our resources. The problem is there is a big country preventing us from doing so,” he said.
Aquilino implied that deployment of US assets, specifically surveillance planes, during Philippine military resupply missions will continue.
“The security environment is extremely challenging right now,” said Aquilino.
“I want to thank my friend and partner, Gen. Brawner, for his leadership as he works to protect his force and execute the missions that he’s been tasked by his leadership,” said Aquilino.
“As a Mutual Defense Treaty ally, we coordinate every day on operations and anywhere possible that I can support my friend and partner, we will,” added Aquilino.
Brawner said such technical support from US is nothing new, noting that the Americans also sent surveillance planes to help the military campaign against the Maute Group during the Marawi siege in 2017.
SWARMING
The AFP Western Command (Wescom) reported swarming by Chinese fishing vessels at the Iroquois Reef, an unoccupied feature in the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement, Wescom said 23 Chinese fishing vessels (CFVs) were observed at the reef during patrols conducted on September 6 and 7. The number was down from 33 based on an August 24 patrol.
Wescom said five CFVs were also observed at Sabina Shoal and three more were seen at Nares Bank during the latest patrol.
“The increased presence of CFVs raises concerns regarding the potential implications for Philippine maritime security, fisheries conservation, territorial integrity, and preservation of the marine environment,” said Wescom.
“These activities have been a source of tension in the WPS and have contributed to instability in the region,” it added.
Brawner said the US and Philippine armed forces want to involve other countries in future sails between the US and the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
Wescom spokesman Commander Ariel Coloma said around 50 Chinese fishing vessels were monitored at Iroquois Reef in June.
“In July, we conducted law enforcement operation in the area… we were able to drive away at least 25 Chinese fishing vessels in the area,” he said.
“But after a while, they went back to the area,” he added, noting the sighting of 33 Chinese fishing vessels in August and 23 fishing vessels last week.
Coloma said that based on their assessment, these Chinese fishing vessels are actually part of China’s maritime militia. He said the vessels were not engaged in fishing.
“These fishing vessels were actually involved in blocking and shadowing of our resupply boats and Philippine Coast Guard vessels. We were able to come to a conclusion that these Chinese fishing vessels are part of their maritime militia taking orders from higher authorities,” he said.
BILATERAL SAIL
US and Philippine military ships held a one-day bilateral sail in the West Philippine Sea last September 4. Military officials said the sail was not aimed at China, noting that the exercise was only meant to improve interoperability between the two countries.
“That is in our plan. Right now, we are in the process of working with other countries who in fact want to join the joint sail. Several countries have given their intention of joining the joint sail,” said Brawner.
Brawner did not name the countries wanting to join the sail but said their intention is “very good indication of the intent of like-minded countries to come together to promote the rules-based international order and to make sure that security in the Indo-Pacific region is maintained at all times.”
MARITIME ZONES
Having defined maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes will “boost” the Philippines’ claim on its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea.
The statement was made by Gregory Poling, a senior fellow at the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, as the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones headed by Sen. Francis Tolentino conducted its first public hearing yesterday on nine bills that seek to establish the country’s maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes.
Poling said having a define maritime zone and archipelagic sea lanes based on international laws is a good way of fortifying the Philippines’ victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
“The Philippines’ claims are already well fortified under international law. Elaborating that in domestic legislation only further clarifies the issue. It doesn’t change the nature of Philippines’ claims. The Philippines is entitled to these claims, they are immutable just as they are for every other nation under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas),” Poling said.
Neil Simon Silva, of the University of the Philippines’ Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the proposed bills, once passed into law, will be the basis of the Philippines to assert its sovereignty in the WPS and other archipelagic waters within the 200-mile EEZ.
Maritime expert professor Jay Batongbacal said the Philippines has to consult the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency under the United Nations which promote safe, secure, environmentally sound, and sustainable shipping through cooperation, before the country can well define its maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes.
The Philippines is a member of the IMO.
He said a consultation with the IMO is important so the country can “implement international sea standards” for navigational safety.
Batongbacal also said it is better to give the Executive Branch the authority the “final step of identifying designated sea lanes” since sea lanes change depending on water conditions and weather.
The special Senate committee aims to craft the defined maritime zones and archipelagic sea lanes of the Philippines due to the continued incursion of China on Philippine waters.
Tolentino said a new Philippine map being crafted will also be in response to China’s latest 10-dash line claim in South China Sea.
Tolentino said that unlike the Philippine Baselines Law, the proposed measures will encompass exclusive economic zones, continental shelf, and underground features that belong to the Philippines.
He said the map will also include the Benham Rise or the Philippine Rise as part of the country’s maritime zone. — With Raymond Africa
