DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr yesterday said it is “very likely” that Philippines will be holding multilateral patrols in the contested West Philippine (WPS) Sea with five countries “like perhaps France, India, Canada, the UK (United Kingdom), New Zealand.”
“This is because they see really the cumulative value of working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order,” Teodoro said in a TV interview.
The Philippines has no existing Status of Forces Agreement (VFA) with these five countries but Teodoro said a VFA is not needed to hold such patrols.
The Armed Forces held bilateral patrols with the US and Australian armed forces in the WPS last month. AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr has said a multilateral patrol among Philippines, US, and Australia may take place next year.
Teodoro said the intention of the other countries in joining multilateral patrols shows “that nobody in the world has publicly proclaimed support for China’s appropriation of the whole of the South China Sea as its own.”
“On the contrary, several countries have condemned their illegal actions based on contrived history, an attempt to change international law and bound other countries into submission into acquiescing or accepting their version of international law,” he said.
“Conversely, on the part of the Philippines, no country has condemned us for standing up for our sovereign rights,” added Teodoro.
Recently, President Marcos Jr said Philippines needs a “paradigm shift” in dealing with China, noting that diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute are heading “in a poor direction.”
Asked if the paradigm shift means the government is abandoning its friend-to-all policy, Teodoro said, “No. We are a friend to all just as long as they are friends to us.”
“We treat everybody as a friend just as long they don’t take what is ours,” he added.
Meanwhile, Brawner and Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Force, discussed “pressing regional security matters and developments in the Philippine-Japan defense partnership,” via video teleconferencing yesterday.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the two military leaders also “celebrated” the transfer of an air surveillance radar system to the Armed Forces last Wednesday.
Trinidad said two also expressed support for the “immediate finalization” of a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) “to allow more interoperable cooperation between the two maritime nations,” and stressed the importance of “alliance-building to counter aggression,” including incidents like the December 10 harassment of a Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal last December 10.
Teodoro, on the planned RAA with Japan, said the government has received a counter draft from Japan.
The RAA, which is similar to the VFA between Philippines and US, allows the conduct of larger military exercises between Filipino and Japanese troops.
“We will review it and submit our comments and if there are no contentious issues, then it can be recommended for the President for signing or his delegation of appropriate official to sign,” he said.
On the possibility of finishing the RAA by next year, Teodoro said, “Yes, it is possible by next year.”
