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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is setting into motion a defense strategy focused on securing and protecting the country’s territorial waters, including marine resources, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said yesterday.
In a statement, Teodoro said he has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to “operationalize” its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) “to ensure that our people and all the generations of Filipinos to come shall freely reap and enjoy the bounties of the natural resources that are rightfully ours within our domain.”
His directive to the AFP came in the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ordering his country’s armed forces “to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea, protect the country’s maritime rights and interests and the development of the maritime economy.”
It also came days after the Chinese coast guard’s latest attempt to stop a resupply mission for troops on BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.
But the Department of National Defense clarified Teodoro’s announcement was just a policy statement and not a response to the Chinese leader’s pronouncements.
“In plain language, we are developing our capability to protect and secure our entire territory and exclusive economic zone,” Teodoro said of his directive for the AFP to implement the CADC.
“I emphasize that this is a strategic action and will not need constant directives to carry out. I thus urge our commanders and units in the AFP to exert all efforts to operationalize the CADC,” Teodoro pointed out.
Xi’s statement on Thursday was issued during a meeting with a delegation of the People’s Liberation Army and Armed Police Force at China’s annual parliament meeting.
Australia, meanwhile, has committed to continue helping the AFP boost its external defense capabilities.
Maj. Gen. Paul Kenny, commander of the Australian Defense Force’s Special Operations Command, relayed his nation’s commitment to AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura during a meeting at Camp Aguinaldo recently.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the two officials discussed ongoing efforts of the AFP to focus on external defense.
Trinidad said Kenny expressed the Australian military’s openness to share experience, training and information.
“The real-time information are critical for us and the support that we get from your country could really boost our awareness and operations in these areas,” he said.
The United States, for its part, has signed an agreement with the Philippines for the launch of a feasibility study on enhancing the Philippine Coast Guard’s capability.
The Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the PCG, and the US Trade and Development Agency signed on March 1 an agreement on a feasibility study “to assess the viability of expanding the PCG’s vessel traffic management system” through a P55-million grant, according to a statement from the US embassy. — Michael Punongbayan, Helen Flores, Ghio Ong
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
