DND denies army modernization link to China aggression

From Business World (Jun 12): DND denies army modernization link to China aggression

THE DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) said the modernization of the country’s air and naval assets is not a specific response to the movements of China, which has shown increasingly aggressive measures in disputed waters west of the Philippines.

DND Public Affairs chief Arsenio R. Andolong said the department is merely focusing on the improvement of the capability of the Philippine Air Force and Navy, which currently lack mission essential equipment.

“This has nothing to do with countering China. Our thrust is really modernizing our Air Force and Navy because that is where we are lacking,” Mr. Andolong said in the vernacular during an interview.

This year, most of the big-ticket projects of the DND involves procurement of aviation and sea vessels as opposed to acquiring land military assets such as armored tanks and assault vehicles.

Included here are the purchase of two anti-submarine helicopters, eight amphibious assault vehicles, two long range patrol aircraft, and six close-air support aircraft with a total budget of P16.4 billion.

There was also a P23.7-billion deal for the purchase for 12 FA-50s lead-in trainer fighter jets, and eight combat utility helicopters last March. These will be delivered on a staggered basis until 2017.

Mr. Andolong said only two high endurance cutters, or naval vessels, which can handle multiple missions in any weather, patrol the country’s rough seas.

These are the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) and the BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15).

He also cited the geographical features of the country as the practical explanation why it is more prudent to acquire naval and aircraft than bulky, heavily armored steel tanks.

“The Philippines is archipelagic, not like Europe where the land mass is contiguous. Also, our forces could get stuck in the jungles if we focus on using heavy tanks,” Mr. Andolong said in Filipino.

The DND official clarified, however, that the military is not neglecting its land forces, which will also be receiving considerable upgrades in the near future.

“We have projects for land assets but they are not big-ticket items. For example, we will be procuring armored infantry vehicles that have special turrets using digital aiming and targeting systems,” the official said in Filipino.

The country’s armed forces has a modernization fund of more than P85 billion, which is set to last until 2017.

BANGSAMORO
Meanwhile, The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) do not see China’s movements in the seas west of the Philippines as a threat to the territories of the proposed Bangsamoro Region.

MILF Political Affairs Vice-Chair Ghazali Jaafar said that Chinese incursions in the disputed waters will not jeopardize those places that they are vying for autonomy. “No, it isn’t [a threat to the Bangsamoro Region,]” Mr. Jaafar told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview.

Likewise, MNLF Spokesperson Atty. Emmanuel C. Fontanilla echoed Mr. Jaafar’s sentiments, saying Bangsamoro territories are not compromised due to China’s increasing territorial assertions.

“I don’t think so. It’s not a threat,” Mr. Fontanilla said in the vernacular in a telephone interview.

The nine-dashed line claim of China encompasses the whole of the China sea including waters in the overlapping economic zones of several countries including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam.

These includes the much disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands, which security experts fear may become military flash points in the future.

Territorial waters of the proposed core territory of the Bangsamoro Region is approximately 400 miles away from the borders of China’s nine-dashed claim, roughly four times the distance between Metro Manila and the Province of Batangas.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fontanilla said that diplomacy is the best probable solution to end the rift between the Philippines and China, one that should be done through bilateral talks.

“The Philippines and China should have one-on-one talks. The United States shouldn’t intervene anymore so things would be clearer,” Mr. Fontanilla said in Filipino.

Mr. Jaafar, on the other hand, suggested a multilateral approach to the situation, elevating the dispute to international bodies that can help settle things.

“What should be done to neutralize tensions is through diplomatic means. It could be done through one-on-one talks, though it may be difficult if there’s no one to broker the peace agreement. The issue can be elevated to the [Southeast Asian] level and if that fails, to the United Nations,” Mr. Jaafar said in Filipino.

Last week, Malacañang assured the public that the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, which has yet to be submitted to Congress, is still on track to be approved by yearend despite the delays in the submission.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin S. Lacierda said although the draft bill is still under Executive review, President Benigno S. C. Aquino III will certify the bill urgent to Congress to hasten its passage.

“The Bangsamoro Basic Law is still being evaluated and studied by the Office of the President together with the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel. It would be certified by the President upon submission,” Mr. Lacierda said then.

Malacañang earlier said it was hoping to submit the draft Bangsamoro bill to the House of Representatives when Congress resumed sessions on May 5 to keep up with its indicative timetable approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by end of 2014.

The plebiscite in the areas covered by the Bangsamoro is expected in 2015, while the conduct of elections for officials that will regularly administer the Bangsamoro political entity is expected to be done simultaneous with the 2016 national elections.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law will formalize the creation of the new Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The creation of a new autonomous region is part of a peace process to end decades of fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the region.

The draft law, which was crafted by the 15-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), was based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the government and the MILF last March 27.

The BTC submitted the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Malacañang early last May.

The MILF expects the Bangsamoro Basic Law to be passed before the President steps down in 2016, but the MNLF thinks otherwise.

Mr. Jaafar has said that the MILF remains hopeful that the proposed law will pass the scrutiny of Congress, and will be ratified before the start of the next presidential term.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fontanilla believes the opposite, citing that amendments to the Philippine Constitution must be made before the peace deal is signed into law.

“As a lawyer, I think it will not pass because it is against the Constitution,” Mr. Fontanilla said earlier.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=DND-denies-army-modernization-link-to-China-aggression&id=89086