THE military yesterday said the establishment of a military facility in Batanes, about 150 kilometers from Taiwan, will boost its capability to protect Philippine territory and respond to man-made and natural crisis.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, nevertheless said the establishment of the Mahatao Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Mahatao town is not directed at any particular country.
The Mahatao FOB was inaugurated on August 28, with Lt. Gen. Fernyl Buca, chief of the AFP Northern Luzon Command, and local government officials leading ceremonies.
“Any action by the AFP to develop our capabilities is in furtherance of our mandate to secure the territory and protect our sovereignty,” Trinidad told a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
“Second, this will afford the AFP greater leverage in performing our mandate to respond to any crisis, be it man-made or natural,” he added.
The facility was inaugurated amid tension in the Taiwan Strait. Close to 200,000 Filipino workers will have to be evacuated if a war breaks out between Taiwan and China which considers Taiwan a part of its territory.
“The AFP is now looking at the external environment,” Trinidad said, noting the military is transitioning to territorial defense from internal security operations.
“As such, our posturing would need forces that could be sustained longer further towards the external environment. That would mean more support bases, not only focused inland but oriented outwards,” he said.
Trinidad said the Mahatao FOB supports the military’s shift to territorial defense operations, noting this will “support and sustain our forces for longer durations when deployed in our maritime domain.”
On possible negative reactions from China, Trinidad said, “First and foremost, we are a sovereign state.”
He said military efforts to develop its capabilities “is in furtherance of being a sovereign state.”
“It is not towards any other foreign country. It is to allow us to be able to perform our mandate to serve the Filipino people better,” he added.
On whether Philippine allies, including United States, will be allowed access to the facility, he said, “For the moment, what I can say is that this will afford the AFP further leverage in projecting our forces across our maritime domain.”
He declined to say what assets will be assigned with the Mahatao FOB.
Meanwhile, Trinidad said the military has observed further buildup of crushed corals at three features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea — Hasa-Hasa and Sabina shoals and Sandy Cay.
He attributed the development to weather disturbances.
“There was no noted presence of any vessel that was dumping corrals,” he said .
Last year, the Philippines said China was conducting small-scale reclamation at Sabina Shoal, through dumping of crushed corals in the area.
Trinidad said weather disturbances usually lead to the pile-up of crushed corals on shallow portions of the WPS.
“We checked with all other government partner agencies in the maritime domain and the assessment is that since there were no ships monitored, this is not a man-made incident. It’s a natural occurrence on account of the weather,” he said.
“The newly reported increase in the height of the elevation is more on account of the weather or natural conditions,” he added/
Trinidad also said the military has monitored 24 Chinese vessels in area of the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in the past four days.
“For the past four days, the numbers have been fairly constant at 20 maritime militia vessels and if I’m not mistaken, four Coast Guard ships,” said Trinidad.
On August 20, five Chinese Coast Guard vessels, along with 11 rigid-hulled inflatable boats or fast boats and nine maritime militia vessels, held maritime drills in the vicinity of the shoal.
