This undated photo handout released by the Kalayaan Municipal office on July 13, 2011 shows the island of Kalayaan, which means “Freedom” in the Filipino language, that was created in 1978 mainly to assert the Philippines’ claim to the disputed territory in the Spratlys, a chain of islets in the South China Sea. AFP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — If elected, presidential candidate Leni Robredo will turn the country into a “maritime power” and ensure the security of the country’s waters, a former military official said.
Former vice commander of the Philippine Navy, Rear Admiral Rommel Ong, said that under a Robredo leadership, there will be a shift from a land-centric Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) into a maritime power or “at least a modicum of a maritime nation.”
“Gusto niya na ang Pilipinas ay maging maritime power,” Ong, who is also a member of Robredo’s national security team, said during an online forum sponsored by the coalition 1Sambayan on Thursday.
(She wants the Philippines to be a maritime power.)
“Kaakibat po dito ay ang pagbabago ng pananaw o pag-iisip kung paano natin huhubugin ang sandatahang lakas,” he added.
(Alongside that is the change in view on how we will shape our armed forces.)
Ong said Robredo has noted that the AFP has focused mainly on land, which has an impact on how the country treats its territorial waters.
“Right now po masyado land-centric o naka-focus sa lupa. Ito po ay disconnected sa situation natin na tayo po ay isang archipelago, isang bansa na maraming isla at malawak ang dagat na kailangan protektahan,” Ong said.
(Right now, our armed forces is too land-centric. This is disconnected to our situation since we are an archipelago, a country with many islands and waters that we need to protect.)
Further, Ong said Robredo and her security team will also prioritize the advancement of “support industries” and “support knowledge” for the country’s merchant marine fleet.
Meanwhile, former Philippine Navy officer and now senatorial candidate Antonio Trillanes said he will push for the continuation of the modernization of the AFP.
However, Trillanes said the acquisition of new equipment and armaments will “depend on whether we can afford it or not.”
“That’s why we need a commander-in-chief who understands the economy,” Trillanes said, adding that Robredo is “fit for this job.”
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