THE Armed Forces has said US military forces are providing technical assistance to the Philippine military in the conduct of operations in the contested West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, where China has become aggressive in its claim over the area.
AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad made the remarks on Wednesday night, a day after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III announced the existence of a “US Task Force Ayungin.”
The US Embassy, meanwhile, said the task force “enhances US-Philippine alliance coordination and interoperability by enabling US forces to support Armed Forces of the Philippines activities in the South China Sea.”
“This initiative aligns with multiple lines of cooperation between US and Philippine forces, including the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) process and the Bantay Dagat framework, in addition to our long-standing shared efforts to address regional challenges, foster stability, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the embassy added.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the task force.
Defense ties between the Philippines and the United States have strengthened rapidly in the past few years, frustrating Beijing, which has a huge presence and vast claims in the South China Sea and sees Washington as an interfering power.
The United States says it has legitimate interests in ensuring peace and freedom of navigation in Asia’s most contested waters, through which more than $3 trillion of trade passes each year.
Chinese vessels have harassed Philippine military resupply missions at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal, damaging Philippine vessels and injuring Filipino troops. However, since officials from both sides reached a provincial arrangement in the conduct of rotation and reprovision (RORE) operations at Ayungin Shoal in July, the Chinese have not interfered with such missions.
The military has conducted three RORE missions to Ayungin since the arrangement — July 27, September 26, and November 14 — without any untoward incident.
Austin on Tuesday visited the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, one of nine designated sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that was signed in 2014 by the US and the Philippines, where US forces are allowed to preposition supplies and equipment.
Austin also witnessed the Philippine Navy demonstrate the capabilities of a T-12 unmanned surface vessel which was among several T-12s transferred by the US to the Philippines this year.
Austin later on Tuesday disclosed the presence of the US Task Force Ayungin, through X (formerly Tweeter).
“I visited the Command and Control Fusion Center in Palawan today. I also met with some American service members deployed to US Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region,” Austin said in his tweet.
SHARING INFORMATION
Trinidad, in a statement, said the Americans are indeed helping the Philippine military to advance the Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea.
“US troops in Palawan provide technical assistance through the information-sharing group within the Command and Control Fusion Center in Western Command,” he said.
“This support enhances our capability in maritime domain awareness, a critical task that aids in planning and implementing programs and activities to protect our interests in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
National Security Adviser and National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea chairman Eduardo Año said the US task force is providing help in the field of ISR or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and maritime domain awareness.
“They are providing support to us … But on actual, direct participation, its purely a Philippine operation. It’s purely, solely a Philippine forces operation,” he said.
Año said the RORE missions in Ayungin are “always a Filipino operation.”
The involvement of US forces in RORE is not actually new. In September last year, a US P-8A Poseidon plane was seen observing a RORE mission that was harassed by the Chinese.
Año declined to give additional details about the American unit. “This is a US task force, meaning to say it is internal to them on how they will support the armed forces.”
DEFENSE COOPERATION
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr signed a defense cooperation agreement with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath, bolstering the relations of the two countries.
Teodoro and Chanyalath signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in Laos on Wednesday, commemorating the 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Teodoro, during the ceremony, underscored shared challenges faced by the two nations including natural disasters, and the potential for mutual learning and collaboration.
“He (Teodoro) emphasized the importance of fostering trust and confidence between their armed forces, describing the cooperation as a step toward ‘a more fraternal ASEAN,’” he said.
Teodoro invited Chanyalath to visit the Philippines to observe military training exercises and “explore avenues for enhanced collaboration.”
Andolong said Chanlayath thanked the Philippines for the support it has extended to Laos, particularly in assisting the Lao Shooting Contingent taking part in the 32nd ASEAN Armies Rifle Meeting in Pampanga, and providing English language training for the Lao People’s Army.
“The MOU is an avenue for greater collaboration, particularly in areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), disaster risk reduction, joint military training, and English language and cultural exchanges and underscores the commitment of both nations to promoting regional stability, enhancing disaster resilience, and fostering a cooperative ASEAN community,” said Andolong.
NEW ZEALAND
Also on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ministers meeting, Teodoro met with New Zealand defense minister Judith Collins and discussed “shared security concerns and avenues for collaboration,” said Andolong.
He said Teodoro cited the importance of rules-based international order to promote peace and stability in the region.
He said Teodoro “emphasized the need for collective efforts to address security challenges, particularly those stemming from non-state actors, which he noted are affecting not only the Philippines but other countries as well.”
Andolong said Collins expressed New Zealand’s “deep concern over developments in the West Philippine Sea, offering her country’s support to the Philippines.”
“She also highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations and their shared interest in regional security and cooperation,” said Andolong of Collins.
China has harassed Philippine government vessels and aircraft and even Filipino fishing boats in the West Philippine Sea in the past months as it turned aggressive in asserting its claim over the disputed area.
Andolong said Teodoro and Collins also acknowledged the growing importance of collaboration to address non-traditional security threats, including in the field of HADR.
“Secretary Teodoro welcomed engagements in this area, stating that ‘we need it now more than ever,’” he added. – With Reuters