US Navy mulls on expanded military exercises with AFP

From the Daily Tribune (Jul 28): US Navy mulls on expanded military exercises with AFP

The United States Navy is keen on expanding military exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) into multilateral engagements to include other allied countries.

Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said he was “very interested” in expanding the annual US Navy and AFP combat exercises into multilateral engagements with other partner-nations.

“It is important that the approach be a multilateral approach, not a bilateral one,” Swift said in a statement released by the US Embassy yesterday.

“These problems are common to many countries, not just one,” he added.

Swift was in Manila on July 16-19 and engaged senior officials of the AFP, including Gen. Hernando Iriberri and Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Jesus Millan.

Aside from routine calls to his military counterparts, Swift also joined a routine observation flight of P-8 flight over the West Philippine Sea.

The US admiral, however, did not identify other countries that may be involved in case multilateral exercises push through.

But Swift noted the Philippines’ holding of military readiness exercises not only with the US but also with Japan, also a known US ally.

Meanwhile, a broad coalition has been formed recently to lead the campaign against the continued bullying of China in the West Philippine Sea.

The West Philippine Sea Coalition (WPSC) which was composed of different mass organizations disclosed that they would be actively campaigning against the activities of China in the disputed Zamora Reef (Subi Reef) in the Spratly Islands, located in the disputed sea.

With this thing the newly formed group led by former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III has called on the people to do their share by boycotting China products.

Only recently the WPSC held a protest rally along Roxas Boulevard in Manila to air their sentiments against the latest incursion of the foreign in Philippine territory.

Alunan said this protest actions should be sustained so as to show to China the sentiments of the people that they will not just stood without doing anything to defend the sovereignty of the country.
“While the case of incursions of China in Philippine territory is being heard at the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, China did not cease with their reclamation. They continue to destroy our coral reefs and taking over of island and the continued construction in Kalayaan Group of Island which is an illegal act,” Alunan said.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/us-navy-mulls-on-expanded-military-exercises-with-afp