THREE warships from the Philippines and Japan recently held exercises in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea to enhance interoperability.
The conduct of the passing exercises was disclosed by BRP Jose Rizal, a guided missile frigate of the Philippine Navy, through its Facebook page yesterday.
BRP Jose Rizal, the lone Philippine Navy ship that took part in the exercise, said the Japanese warships involved in the passing exercise were destroyers JS Ariake and Hamagiri.
“The exercise aimed to enhance the two nations’ maritime security and promote closer cooperation and understanding in addressing regional challenges,” BRP Jose Rizal said.
It said the maritime drills focused on maneuvering exercise and photo exercise.
“The event marked another significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the two countries, reflecting their commitment to regional peace, stability, and the shared goal of maintaining a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific,” BRP Jose Rizal said.
The Armed Forces has held several maritime cooperative activities (MCAs) and multilateral cooperative activities (MMCAs) with other countries in the West Philippine Sea this year to enhance capabilities in addressing security challenges.
Last month, the Navy held a similar MCA with France in the area, deploying two warships, including BRP Jose Rizal, and several aircraft from the Philippine Air Force.
France deployed five ships, including the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, and several aircraft during the MCA.
PALAWAN ISSUE
The military called “propaganda” posts on Chinese social media Rednote that Palawan once belonged to China and should return it.
“It’s very well known that they (Chinese) really come out with a lot of propaganda materials,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla.
Padilla maintained the West Philippine Sea belongs to the Philippines, citing provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Meanwhile, military leaders from Philippines, US, Japan and Australia had “high-level discussions” in Fort Bonifacio last Saturday and Sunday to bolster defense cooperation.
The CORE 4 Technical Working Group (TWG) Two-Star Level Meeting was attended by Philippine Army vice commander Maj. Gen. Leodevic Guinid, Philippine Marine Corps vice commanding Vicente Blanco; Maj. Gen. Scott Winter US Army Pacific; Col. Christopher Winn of the US Marine Forces Pacific; Maj. Gen. Norimichi Shirakawa of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; and Brig. Gen. Dean Thompson of the Australian Army.
“The meeting focused on enhancing interoperability and aligning military exercises among regional partners and allies, reinforcing collective defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific Region,” said Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala.
Dema-ala said the discussions “emphasized the importance of information sharing and mutual trust, recognizing these as key pillars for effective multilateral cooperation.”
He said the CORE 4 member nations “reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional security and advancing operational synergy across their land forces.”
Dema-ala said the next CORE 4 meeting will be held in Hawaii in May.
“This forum will provide another opportunity for participating nations to advance strategic initiatives and further strengthen military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific Region,” said Dema-ala of the upcoming meeting.
