A P3C Orion
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Wednesday defended American air patrols over disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea, saying such overflights would help both to protect the country and boost the arbitration case it has filed before the United Nations against China.
Del Rosario made the remarks after the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Tuesday that classified Philippine documents confirmed that US P3C Orion aircraft have been carrying out patrols over the Spratlys.
The Orion was developed in the 1960s for the US Navy and is used mainly for anti-submarine surveillance and warfare.
“I think that it (US air patrols) is (of) significant importance for us because we do have an interest in terms of what’s going on in (our) EEZ (exclusive economic zone) …” del Rosario told the reporters at a press conference at the sidelines of the celebration of the DFA’s 115th foundation day.
He said the intelligence reports gathered during the American patrols would not only help the Philippines monitor Chinese intrusions and activist and protect the country’s maritime rights and territory, “I think it is also useful for us to be gathering information which can also be utilized for our arbitration case.”
Del Rosario did not say anything about the number of US aircraft and the frequency of their patrols over the West Philippine Sea.
But he did confirm that the US has been patrolling the West Philippine Sea even before he took his oath of office in 2011.
“We have this initiative of reaching out to our partners including the United States in terms of assistance with regards to our minimum credible defense posture strategy,” Del Rosario said.
The DFA chief also said the American surveillance flights are undertaken as part of joint military exercises between the two countries and comply with the Philippine Constitution.
“I think for the most part they just come in during the exercises. This is part of the training exercises and military and security cooperation with the United States,” he said.
“There (are) certain protocols that are being followed to ensure that the Constitution is not being violated by such activities,” he added.
Last year, President Benigno Aquino III admitted that the Philippines had sought the deployment of the Orions over the disputed territories because of the country’s incapacity to undertake its own monitoring.
To counter China’s growing military presence, the US has embarked on a “pivot” towards Asia, repositioning more military assets in the region as part of its “strategic interest” in maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded economic activities in the commercially vital sea lane.
"As our treaty ally, we should be working with them (US),” Del Rosario said. “It is advisable for us to work with them in accordance to our agreement … that we should be relying on one another. I think it is in that context that we believe they have a right to be there."
"And we'd like them (US) to be there,” he added. “It is consistent with the rationale in asking them to help us in the (establishment of a) minimum credible defense posture.”
Very recently, the government broached the idea of allowing the American and Japanese military access to the country’s military bases, a proposal that was met with criticism by those who said such an arrangement would violate the Constitution’s prohibition against the permanent presence or basing of foreign forces.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/67649/wed-like-them-to-be-there--dfa-chief-del-rosario-backs-us-air-patrols-over-spratlys
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