As it discusses China with Japan, Philippines wants to rearm battleships with missiles

From InterAksyon (Jan 9): As it discusses China with Japan, Philippines wants to rearm battleships with missiles

Amid Philippine concerns over "aggressive" Chinese claims over parts of the contested West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday announced that the country would discuss the matter with Japan, which has its own territorial disputes with China.  Aside from talking with Japan Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida about the sea row with China, Philippine leaders will also discuss with the Japanese official the 10 coastal boats that will be donated by Japan to the Philippines to help enhance the latter's capability to monitor its coastal seas, according to DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario.

As this developed, the Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday announced that a study was underway to rearm with missiles and other sophisticated weapons two former Coast Guard Hamilton-class cutters of the United States that were acquired weaponless by the Philippine Navy. “Japan is an important strategic partner, we have two strategic partners, one of them of course is Japan. And we’re very happy to be able to have this opportunity to broaden deepen and enhance our relationship,” Del Rosario said. “We are looking forward to this discussion that we will have which would be very comprehensive in nature,” he added.

In July, Japanese Embassy’s chancery head Minister Shinsuke Shimizu said that Japan would donate 10 brand new patrol boats to the Philippine Coastal Guard by 2014. The Japanese government has been helping the Philippine government modernize its coast guard since 1990. Japan was the one that gave the Philippines the BRP Corregidor, a search-and-rescue vessel 15 years ago. It was one of the two Philippine vessels that confronted with Chinese maritime ships on Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) last April 8 to June 15.

Kishida arrived in the Philippines Wednesday night and is set to pay a courtesy call on President Benigno Aquino III Thursday morning, according to Del Rosario. Japan also has a territorial row with China over claims in Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Bothersome

Del Rosario expressed concerns on the continuous “aggressive” claims of China over the contested West Philippine Sea. The DFA chief said China's actions last year was a serious concern particularly its recent rules to interdict foreign vessels entering the disputed territories. “Yes we think this is a bothersome. We are asking for clarification on what it is exactly they are trying to do there and what is covered by the new law,” Del Rosario told reporters on Wednesday. “There have been some initiativse of China that we are trying our best to understand,” he said.

Aside from the three Chinese vessels anchored around the Scarborough Shoal, China has established Sansha City to administer the Spratlys, Paracel, and Macclesfield islands, which are also being claimed by other Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. With regard to Sansha City, Del Rosario said no country can establish “an administrative until over something [that is] not recognized by international law”. “Of course we have protested that because we believe, that is creating tension,” added the DFA chief. Five months after the city's establishment, Hainan province, which has jurisdiction over Sansha City, approved a new law that would allow its local police to interdict foreign vessels entering the vicinity. The new rule took effect on January 1, 2013.

Increase capability for sovereignty

Meanwhile, DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said the agency's officials had discussed with President Benigno Aquino III the department's plan to "increase, in terms of weaponry, the capability" of BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF16). He said the discussion was anchored on how to maximize the two cutters to effectively patrol and defend from intruders the Malampaya gas project off Palawan including sovereignty missions in the West Philippine Sea. “We will use our cutters to secure our Malampaya and other service contract areas of the Department of Energy. We updated the President on the status of PF15 and PF16 and how to increase their capability,” Manalo said.

During the discussion, Aquino agreed to the proposal of increasing the capability of the cutters with “due diligence," according to Manalo. The PF15, commissioned in December 2011, figured in a maritime row in March last year wherein several Chinese fishing vessels were caught illegally gathering marine resources on Panatag (Scarborough Shoal) off Masinloc, Zambales. The apprehension led to a standoff with China. The PF16 is still being refurbished in the U.S. and is expected to arrive in the country in March for commissioning.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/52334/as-it-discusses-china-with-japan-philippines-wants-to-rearm-battleships-with-missiles