All existing, new assets of AFP deployable for territorial patrols

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 30): All existing, new assets of AFP deployable for territorial patrols

All existing and newly-acquired assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can be deployed to safeguard the country's vast maritime territories which includes the 13-million hectares Benham Rise which lies off the coastline of Aurora and Isabela.

This was stressed by AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla when asked on whether the newly-acquired equipment of the military, which includes the South Korean-made FA-50 "Fighting Eagle" jet fighters and Beechcraft King Air TC-90s leased from Japan, can be deployed to safeguard the above-mentioned territory.

"Patrolling off the high seas is part of the AFP mandate under the Constitution which states the military is the protector of the Filipino people and the country's sovereignty and integrity," he said in Filipino.

And patrolling coastal areas and territorial waters, including Philippine interests in its 200-nautical miles exclusive economic zone is part and parcel of that mandate, Padilla stressed.

"Any assets, whether sea or air, can be used to perform that said mandate," he added.

Last Wednesday, the country's seventh and eighth FA-50PH jet fighters arrived in Clark Air Base, Pampanga, raising the number of Mach 1.5 capable aircraft to eight while last March 27, the first two TC-90 aircraft, out of the five leased from Japan, arrived in Sangley Point, Cavite.

An additional four FA-50PHs are scheduled to be delivered within the year along with three more TC-90s, boosting the country's capability to detect intruders and defend Philippine territories against intruders.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=976377