US affirmed 'iron-clad' support for PH – DND chief

From InterAksyon (Jul 13): US affirmed 'iron-clad' support for PH – DND chief

The United States had affirmed its “iron clad” support for the Philippines even ahead of the favorable ruling by a UN tribunal rejecting China's claim of "historic rights" and its nine-dash-line delineation in the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Lorenzana said Wednesday.

He clarified, though, that after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague issued Tuesday its 11-page verdict on the case filed by Manila in 2013, the Philippine government did not solicit the US’ opinion or advice on what to do next.

“We will not consult them (US) on our actions. Our action will be guided by what is good for our country. [We have neighbors who] are claimants also, in the community of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It’s them that we should be consulting [as to what we should say or do next, as we have some overlapping claims with them],” Lorenzana said, partly in Filipino.

China had imposed its “nine-dash line” on a vast expanse - nearly 90 percent of South China Sea - on areas that embraced the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Lorenzana said his US counterpart, Secretary Ashton Carter, made a “short call” to him Sunday afternoon, three days before the verdict, to reassure Manila of Washignton’s solid support.

He said Carter was with President Barack Obama in London when they talked over the phone.

“He called me up Sunday, about four in the afternoon. He said, 'we want to assure you that our alliance, our defense pact, is iron clad',” Lorenzana said.

The DND chief said Carter also told him that “in light of the impending publication of the tribunal’s ruling…the Chinese assured us that they will exercise restraint and we assured them also that we will exercise restraint.”


According to Lorenzana, Carter said, "we expect the same [restraint] from the Philippines." Lorenzana said he replied, "of course we will exercise restraint."

The brief exchange ended with Carter saying, "rest assured that we support you here in this,” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana also declined to comment on what Manila would do should China declare an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

“The US already said they will not also honor China’s ADIZ…We consult with our ASEAN allies who are also claimants in the area,” he said.

 He noted that there is an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the US and the Philippines.

 “We will decide what to do when that happens. ‘Let's not talk about it now, it’s a hypothetical question. So I will not answer that,” he said.

Cautious on artificial islands

Meanwhile, the Western Command (Westcom) commander, Rear Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, said that, without guidance of the national govenrment, they cannot just move into the artificial islands created by the Chinese inside the area covered by Palawan's municipality, the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

“There is no guidance to change whatever we have been doing. The bottom line right now is you know we are just waiting for policies to be laid down by the national government,” Mercado said.

For his part, Lorenzana said they have yet to get information on China’s action in the WPS after the verdict.

“We do not know about the other side: if they are beefing up their forces or adding some more assets there,” he said.

 Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte gave his Cabinet instructions “not to rush” in deciding what to do next, but he stressed that China should respect the PCA’s verdict.

“I hope that China will abide by this because it will be good for the whole region if everybody will follow the rule of law. Nobody can just cherry pick the laws that we are going to abide by. We believe in a community of nations and exist side by side harmoniously,” he said.

Lorenzana said “the government is studying everything and wait for other developments." The President had indicated that "we will consult with our allies first.”

On Tuesday, just after the PCA verdict was announced, the Palace announced that Solicitor General Jose Calida was tasked to provide the President and Cabinet a report explaining the implications of the ruling. Duterte said a clear roadmap on the subject would be issued in five days.

Threat to sink BRP Sierra Madre

Lorenzana declined to comment on China’s threat to sink the rusty BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal, which the government turned into a detachment of the Philippine Marines.

 “We still have to study our course of action on the issue,” Lorenzana said.

He said there was a scheduled resupply mission last week to the Ayungin troops, but this was postponed in deference to the PCA verdict.

 The Philippine Navy suspended the resupply to avoid it being “misconstrued" by "the other side (China)" as an "act of provocation."

“So, I do not know when the next resupply will be, but definitely we are going there to resupply them by any means,” he said.

http://interaksyon.com/article/130301/us-affirmed-iron-clad-support-for-ph--dnd-chief