AFP chief dismisses Golez tirade over S. China Sea

From the Daily Tribune (Aug 10): AFP chief dismisses Golez tirade over S. China Sea

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri is not affected by the criticisms hurled against him by former National Security Adviser Roilo Golez for supposedly failing to recognize Chinese threat in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

“I respect his opinion…everybody is entitled to his own opinion. I don’t get affected with criticisms because if I do, I will not be able to do my job anymore,” he stressed.

Golez, who is a former Navy officer and congressman, expressed disappointment with Iriberri for supposedly failing to recognize China’s aggression in the disputed territory as the real threat facing the country today.

Golez spelled out that China’s aggression affects “our environment through the degradation of the ecosystems in the disputed areas and our socio-political and economic structure with the influx of illegal drugs, political interference in government and dumping of cheap but low quality products that undermine the integrity of financial stability of local industries.”

The former congressman described Iribberi as not competent enough to realize the significance of modernizing the AFP through the procurement of modern military hardware, among them the acquisition of a number of Italian-made Maestrale-class frigates and the BrahMos shore-based missile system from India.

But Iriberri has previously clarified that the acquisition of missile system was only shelved temporarily due to pressing concerns over the safety of foot soldiers falling prey to landmines planted by enemies of the state.

The military noted the huge number of combat casualty in recent months due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

“That’s why we need to protect our troops from these IEDs,” he said.

The procurement of the missile system was move to the “second horizon” of the revised AFP Modernization Program.

Golez also said Iriberri’s appointment as AFP chief should not be confirmed by the Commission on Appointment for being not competent in heading the AFP in the face of external threats.

“As I’ve said, I respect his (Golez) opinion…maybe he is just misinformed,” Iriberri said.

The AFP chief reiterated that the 125,000-strong military is performing its mandate of protecting the country’s territorial sovereignty, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

Relatedly, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines will continue to have a principled, independent and law-based approach to assert its right over the South China Sea.

Del Rosario said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will assert the rightful place of the Philippines in the community of nations, in the same way former UN General Assembly Carlos P. Romulo asserted the right of the country to be included in the United Nations seal in 1949.

“We are at the threshold of history, taking a principled, consistent position on the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea issue, depending on what is legitimately and rightfully ours. The ultimate purpose of this case is our national interest. This is what we, as a nation, conveyed ...before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague,” Del Rosario said during a recent roundtable discussion on “Foreign Policy in an Evolving World Order” organized by Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati City.

“Our maritime dispute with China, a friend and a valued partner in the region, is but one of the many complex challenges confronting 21st century international diplomacy. The Asia-Pacific region, in particular, is in a state of flux as governments are faced with multiple security issues, punctuated further by the rise of non-state factors,” he added.

“The Philippine foreign policy will continue to evolve in relation to our history, identity and aspirations as a people. It will be defined by our national leadership, the institutional arrangement, and the ever-changing international environment,” the country’s top diplomat said.

Prof. Victor Andres Manhit, president of ADR Institute, said there is a need to re-examine existing foreign policy to determine whether it remains responsive to changing times.

“In this connection, examination on the shifts and challenges faced by our existing foreign policy should be made,” he stressed.

Prof. Renato de Castro, former chairman of International Studies Department at De La Salle University and a trustee of ADR Institute, said the South China Sea is not a simple territorial dispute as it has become what has been called a “dangerous ground” or even the “future of conflict.”

De Castro said the Philippines counts on the United States as an ally. “It gives a strong signal to Beijing that it has to take into account American military presence in the country if China uses force, strengthens Philippine resolve to uphold its claim in the face of Chinese pressure in the South China Sea, and just in case the Supreme Court will vote for the constitutionality of EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) it would provide for the establishment of forward security locations – not bases.”

Prof. Alma Salvador of Ateneo de Manila University said Asean also has a role to play in the conflict. “What we’re seeing here is that the initiatives and efforts of Asean toward building a community toward the end of 2015 is now being challenged by Asean ’s response to the South China Sea dispute, its response to China’s militarism, and at the same time, China’s response to the Code of Conduct and its South China Sea policy as a whole. These two forces serve as a framework for testing the capacity of Asean to build a community.”

“As a result of the 2012 incident, you’d see that from 2013 onwards, Asean foreign ministers have issued in a timely manner a statement that expresses their concern over the developments and Chinese militarism in the South China Sea. And specifically in 2013 there is an awareness of the need to speak with one voice,” she said.

Dr. Raul Pangalanan said the Philippines did the right thing when it filed a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China.

“In a David vs. Goliath scenario the Philippines would have been helpless; by filing the case, we have shifted it from a two-party settlement and submitted it to a third-party decision-maker in the tribunal. And, second, that decision will not be based on military power, but it will be based on rules in international law,” he said.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/afp-chief-dismisses-golez-tirade-over-s-china-sea