THE United States and the Philippines have already agreed to widen the scope and frequency of the military exercises under the Balikatan even before the increased rotational presence of American troops in the country.
The bigger military exercises was agreed upon by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Emmanuel Bautista and US Pacific Command (Pacom) chief Admiral Samuel Locklear during the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board meeting in Hawaii late last year.
The exercises under the Balikatan is expected to begin March or April this year and onward.
“General Bautista and Locklear signed the agreement increasing the frequency of the Joint Balikatan Exercises this year and onward,” a source said.
The Department of Defense is currently negotiating an increased presence of US Soldiers and their equipment’s access to military camps in the country under the US pivot in Asia.
The negotiations are, however, taking a longer period than expected to seal because of some contentious points in the proposed agreement.
However, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin earlier said the Philippine side is expecting to notch the agreement within the initial months of this year as “all the issues are already being discussed by the two sides.”
The Philippines and the US have already programmed some of the bigger activities under the Balikatan this year, and they included joint naval, air and land drills, as well as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response operations.
Aside from the Balikatan, the Philippine military is holding the Balance Piston, which involve Air Forces of both countries, the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training for both navies and the Philippine Bilateral Exercise involving both forces of the two countries.
Meanwhile, the defense department said China could impose a fishing ban so long as it will not cover or encroach into the country’s waters and even in its claimed islands in the West Philippine Sea.
The department is reacting to the ban that Beijing has imposed for fisherman in the South China Sea.
“We will have to verify statements regarding this alleged fishing rules by China. Nonetheless, all countries are free to enforce fishing rules within their own exclusive economic zones,” said Defense Spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said.
“Likewise, the defense establishment is ready in enforcing the maritime rules in the Philippines. We will enforce the protection of our resources,” he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.