President Aquino: Philippines to protect ‘what’s ours’
The Philippines is ready to use military force to protect “what is ours” in the West Philippine Sea, President Aquino said on Monday amid a deepening rift with China.
Mr. Aquino told Congress in his annual State of the Nation Address that his administration was sending a message to the world by upgrading its poorly equipped armed forces, including acquiring a new navy ship and weapons.
“We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know we are ready to protect what is ours,” the President said to a round of applause from his audience of politicians and invited guests.
Mr. Aquino said the Philippines would no longer allow other countries to enforce their will over it.
“There was a time when we couldn’t appropriately respond to threats in our own backyard,” he said.
“Now our message to the world is clear. What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.”
Recto Bank is the Philippine name for the Reed Bank, a group of tiny islands off Palawan that is being claimed by the Philippines and China. Recto Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the heart of Metro Manila.
Manila accused Chinese navy boats of harassing a Philippine-commissioned oil exploration vessel near Recto Bank in March, one of the incidents that triggered a dramatic rise in bilateral tensions.
The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims to all or parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.
Tensions in the decades-long dispute escalated this year amid accusations from the Philippines and Vietnam that China was becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claims to the sea.
Aside from harassing the oil exploration vessel at Recto Bank, the Philippines accused Chinese forces of shooting at Filipino fishermen and placing markers on some of the islets.
The Philippines has one of the weakest military forces in the region, with its air force lacking fighter aircraft and its navy made up mainly of World War II-vintage US ships.
Modernizing the Armed Forces
However, the Philippines was able to secure a promise from the United States in June to help in modernizing its armed forces, after appealing to its longtime ally for protection amid its rift with China.
A decommissioned US Coast Guard patrol vessel that will become the Philippines’ biggest navy ship is due to reach Philippine shores next month, which Mr. Aquino highlighted in his speech.
In his speech, the President also said the acquisition of aircraft and vessels to patrol the country’s waters would be achieved through “good governance.”
Noting how enhanced security would also enhance national pride, Mr. Aquino acknowledged that in the past the country “couldn’t appropriately respond to threats in our own backyard.”
He said he had heard of stories of how the military responded to past standoffs in the West Philippine Sea by cutting down a coconut tree and painting it black so it would appear to be aimed at those pointing cannons at them.
Equipment upgrades
“True or not, that time is over,” the Chief Executive said, promising that soon “we will be seeing capability upgrades and the modernization of the equipment of our armed forces.”
“We may acquire more vessels in the future—these, in addition to helicopters and patrol crafts, and the weapons that the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice will buy in bulk to get a significant discount,” President Aquino said.
He added: “This goes to show how far we can go with good governance; we can buy equipment at good prices, without having to place envelopes in anyone’s pockets.”
He said his administration was also studying the possibilty of elevating its case on the West Philippine Sea to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea “to make certain that all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forebearance.”
The President echoed this position in an interview with Al-Jazeera news agency, which was aired on Monday.
Seeking help
He said he hoped and did not think that the conflict in the West Philippine Sea would result in armed conflict among its claimants.
Mr. Aquino said his administraiton would seek the help of the United Nations. He also said this problem could be dealt with with the help of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of which the Philippines is a member.
“A lot of the claimant countries belong to Asean; this is a common problem. There has to be a common solution,” the President told Al-Jazeera.
He also said he did not think that the dispute would end up as a shooting war but added that in any event, “I am duty-bound to protect the national territory and sovereignty of the Philippines.”
Mr. Aquino said he could not agree to a Chinese formula on ownership of the Spratly Islands, which included Recto Bank, saying “if we agree to their preposition, then we lose practically the entire western coastline of the Philippines.”
“No way that we can accept that,” President Aquino declared. With a report from AFP
