'Balikatan' demonstrates US security commitment to PHL - Carter

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 15): 'Balikatan' demonstrates US security commitment to PHL - Carter

As this year's "Balikatan" exercises formally ended Friday, United States Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the annual military maneuvers demonstrate America's ironclad commitment to Philippine security.

"We appreciate your dedication to this exercise and to our alliance, for 65 years our two nations have been standing together and America’s commitment to the Philippines, we made is ironclad," he said.

"Balikatan" 2016 started last April 4 with 3,773 Filipino soldiers and 4, 904 US troops participating.

Carter said that "Balikatan" is another demonstration of the long-standing and now rapidly growing network of security in the Asia-Pacific Region.

"I (would) like to thank our Australian allies for their participation for the third year, to the observer nation officials here today, including those from Japan and elsewhere and others who attended the course of the exercise. I'm pleased to see so many nations interested in working together to promote stability and security in the Asia-Pacific (Region)," he stressed.

Other observer nations include Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Republic of Korea, Timor Leste, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Carter also took time to condole with the family and friends of A2C Jove Dumansi, who died in a parachuting exercise in Subic Bay, Zambales last April 7.

"Marking the successful conclusion of this multifaceted exercise, tragedy struck in the early days of 'Balikatan' 2016, the death of a Philippine Airman Second Class Jover Dumansi, I (want to) express my condolences on behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense and all Americans to Airman Dumansi’s family and friends as well as to the Philippine armed forces, government and people," he emphasized.

Carter said this loss is a reminder of the risks that all "Balikatan" participants and their families accept just to see the successful continuation of this exercise.

"In the face of such tragedy is a reminder of our shared commitment to always see the mission through. All of you and the more than 7,000 personnel who joined you have done just that here in 'Balikatan' and you’ve done so an exemplary fashion, together you provided medical care to local communities, together you can prove the combined command-and-control, together you rehearsed maritime interdiction operations so we can respond more quickly to threats on the sea and together you simulated the recovery of oil and gas platform for possible forces in the South China, through it all you made our strong alliance even stronger," the American defense secretary said.

By participating in the annual military maneuvers, troops from both the Philippines and the US are trained and prepared to confront very real challenges.

"You’ve demonstrated to the region and to the world that the United States and the Philippines are standing together to defend the rules and principles that have benefited so many in the region, rules and principles like the peaceful resolution of dispute, countries have been able to make their own security and economic choices free from coercion and intimidation, and freedom of navigation and overflight," Carter emphasized.

"And have also set the stage for a new level of cooperation between the Philippines and the United States for the success of 'Balikataan' 2016 and two major recent policy steps forward, the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the new US Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative, we’re going to be doing more together, and as I announced yesterday some Americans here for this exercise will be staying behind on a rotational basis to continue joint training and working with our Philippine allies to contribute to regional security and stability," he added.

"I thank these service members for taking on this important assignments. You also contributed to the Asia-Pacific’s ongoing stability and security, it (is) said that (in) this region, that security is like oxygen, (when) we have enough of it you pay no attention to it, but when you don’t have enough you can think of nothing else," Carter disclosed.

And through "Balikatan" and other similar exercises, the US defense secretary said American and Filipinos troops provide that oxygen, the security that enables millions upon millions of people all around the Asia-Pacific to be safe, to raise their children and to dream their dreams, to live their lives.

"The United States will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and we will continue to stand up for our safety and freedom, for those of our friends and allies and for the values, principles, and rule-based order that has benefited so many for so long. As long as we remain steadfast in that commitment as we had for decades we will continue to ensure the Philippines remains secure and the Asia-Pacific remains a region where everyone can rise and prosper for generations to come," Carter stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=876821