This story is also posted in www.verafiles.org
By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files
Amid renewed tensions in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine military is batting to revive the concept of an anti-communist collective defense of Southeast Asia to enable the country to enter into a leasing arrangement of patrol boats with the United States.
An operational lease would allow the Philippine Navy to use newer U.S. ships, Navy Vice Commander Rear Admiral Orwen Cortez told a press conference following the opening ceremony of the PH-US Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Puerto Princesa on Tuesday.
“We have experience with this during the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) way back in the ‘50s when U.S. ships came to the Philippines, so that was the background and we’re trying to revive that concept,” he said.
SEATO was a regional alliance formed in 1955 to contain the powers of communist China by providing for the collective defense of its members. But it only had two Southeast Asian members, Philippines and Thailand, and the latter hosted the headquarters. The other members were Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
SEATO formally disbanded in 1977. A decade earlier, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established.
Recently, the Department of Energy requested the military to provide modern ships to assist oil exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea after a DOE-commissioned seismic vessel was harassed by a Chinese Navy vessel in March. (The Philippines now refers to South China Sea as West Philippine Sea.)
“We wanted to push through with the operational lease because through that concept we will be able to get newer ships rather than go to the defense articles where the ships are quite old,” Cortez said.
A military source explained that the government could not purchase patrol boats off-the-rack, and would have to wait two years to procure them, given government procurement rules.
The military briefed Foreign Secretary Alberto Del Rosario about its proposal before he left recently for a series of meetings in the U.S.
Del Rosario, in turn, tossed the proposal to the U.S. during the trip, which sought “clarification” of America’s commitment under its 60-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and solicited a U.S. statement related to the oil-rich area in the South China Sea that the country is contesting with China.
But should the country enter into a lease with the U.S. that would include American military personnel who will help operate the vessels, the arrangement might violate the Constitutional ban on foreign military troops.
Article 18, Section 25 provides, “After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning Military Bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting state.”
The Philippine Navy is looking at cyclone class vessels, of which the U.S. has a number. These have been mothballed but have proved useful in the Philippine setting and maritime environment.
The government’s lone cyclone class vessel is PS-38 or BRP Gen. Mariano Alvarez, also known as “BRP GMA,” said to be the favorite of former President Gloria Arroyo. It is relatively new and the country’s only high-tech patrol craft.
The U.S., however, does not lease its patrol craft, U.S. Navy Task Force Commander Rear Admiral Tom Carney told a reporter who asked about the leasing arrangement after the Puerto Princesa press conference.
“It’s only either we sell and you buy or you acquire from our grant or aid,” he said.
Recent incidents in the disputed cluster of isles in the South China Sea have again illuminated the China threat.
Besides the harassment of the DOE-commissioned seismic vessel in March, the incidents include firing of warning shots to ward off Filipino fishing boats at the Jackson Atoll in February and the unloading of markers, buoys and construction materials in the unoccupied Amy Douglas and Boxall Reefs within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
But a U.S. Navy official said he views the military buildup and capability development of China not so much a concern unless these are used in a “threatening” way.
“We don’t look at specifically the current capabilities as they develop, we welcome them. We just hope that as any navy that they (China) take those capabilities and they operate with them in a very productive and transparent manner,” said U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Scott Van Buskirk.
Buskirk was in the country to formally open this year’s CARAT. The naval exercises kicked off on Tuesday in Puerto Princesa with about 800 U.S. Navy personnel and their 457 Philippine counterparts who will participate in more than a hundred military exercises, trainings and activities for 11 days.
Two missile-guided destroyers from the US, the USS Howard and USS Chung-Hoon, are complemented by two patrol boats from the Philippines, BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) and BRP Rizal (PS-74).
At a time when tension is running high in the South China Sea, the military drill is seen as a veiled warning against China’s aggression.
But Cortez said CARAT has nothing to do with the issue in the Spratlys. He said this was planned long before the issue or the tension in the Spratlys resurfaced.
While the Philippine Navy delinked the drill from tensions in the South China Sea, it invited to the opening ceremony the mayor of Kalayaan town, the group of Philippine-claimed and held islands in the South China Sea. Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon was the lone mayor present in the event.
But the Philippine Navy admitted it took into account China’s possible reaction when it decided against setting the sea phase of the exercises at the South China Sea.
Conducting it in the area might might be an irritant to the Chinese and the other claimants, Cortez said.
While the exercises will not be held in the South China Sea, the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington was traversing South China Sea as the exercises began in Palawan. Also the anti-submarine helicopter of the USS Howard has done an overflight at the South China Sea for its routine Maritime Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (MISR) en route to Palawan.
“The way we operate should not be viewed as a statement or a threat but a continuing demonstration of the commitment of our two nations to work together to improve our capabilities of operating together and to learn from each other,” Buskirk said.
(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)
Well, “hello Joe, welcome back!”
The DOE has opened yesterday the latest round of bids for petroleum blocks all over the Philippines hoping to be transformed later on to full service contracts(SC). Each SC is estimated to fetch at least $500M during exploration.
It is understandable why the US is “guarding the neighborhood” as American interests are involved here.
Note that the biggest gas producing wells are in Malampaya – very near Spratlys – where US oil giant Chevron has 45% stake.
This presence of American warships stabilize the situation in Spratlys where previously fear of the chinks prevent big investors from coming in.
That, we have to thank the Americans for.
Slip of The TonGuE:
“Each SC is estimated to spend at least $500M during exploration.”
Kung natuloy itong lease concept na ‘to, I just hope the ships won’t get cannibalized like what they’re doing to the C130’s in the airforce.
@ Tongue #2:
Pasalamat din mga Kano sa atin sa kanila na punta ang kontrata. 🙂
Sabi nga ni Sun Tzu, “Know your enemy.” Apparently, the Chinese know us. Konting kalansing ng espada, takbo kay Uncle Sam.
We are all signatories to the UN Law of the Sea (China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei). In due time, we will have bilateral talks; there will be no war, despite the quaking cojones of our politicos. So in the bilateral talks, there will be Malaysia (seriously anti-US), Vietnam (old enemy of the US, although on friendly terms now), Brunei, and China. So who do you think gets talked down in the multilateral talks? Who do you think will look like the guy who backed out from the agreement with the other four, in regard to China?
The US just helped China get the other three on its side. Thanks Uncle Sam. What do we need enemies for?
We can’t party with Malaysia, they still have to give us back Sabah, and we need to go to the negotiating table with a strong position. In the end, when pressed to take an ally most will choose the US.
Nasaan na yung mga pekeng environmentalists na kontra sa lahat ng uri ng pagmimina? Bakit di sila magdadakdak ngayon para tigilan na yang Spratlys at ibigay na sa Tsina?
Merong 15 areas na nakasalang sa bidding ngayon. Kung wala yang military exercise na yan, meron kayang magbi-bid?
Maresolba man sa diplomatikong paraan yan, di sira ang ulo ng mga negosyante na pupusta ng malaki NGAYON sa walang katiyakang security ng negosyo ko. Sa ngayon ay dapat munang magbantay ang mga Kano diyan.
Garantisado na ang minimum reserves ng langis at natural gas sa area na yan na pumapalo sa trilyon liters. Pinablalabanan na lang ngayon ay kung saang butas mas malakas mahihigop ang mineral. At kung meron pang ibang nakatagong yaman diyan, iyan ang kanilang hahanapin.
Bakit interesado ang China at Vietnam sa explo sa loob ng Phil. territory? Obvious naman na alam na nila na nandito mismo sa Pinas ang pinakamalaking reserba. Yan ang dahilan kung bakit pinilipit si Mañalac hanggang magresign. Gusto ni Mañalac PNOC na ang maghahanap, gusto ni Putot at JDV isama ang China at Vietnam.
Si Mañalac ay iprinoklamang HERO sa Thailand matapos niyang madiskubre ang kauna-unahang oil field ng Thailand.
It was really China that JDV was dealing with (selling out PH sovereignty). They had to accommodate Vietnam later when it complained (para manahimik na.)
Paano kung puro compania ng mga insik ang nanalo sa bidding? May security pa sila na amerikano. hahaha!
From Malaya, July 5, 2011:
Gazmin presses arms lease
By Victor Reyes
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday said the Armed Forces is looking at leasing modern long-range air and water patrol craft from the United States this year.
Gazmin said the Philippines no longer wants excess defense articles from the US, but modern equipment and weapons.
He said the US is looking at available new equipment that could be operated by the Philippines despite its very limited budget.
“Mga long-range aircraft patrol, as well as watercraft…yung mas malalaking caliber,” he said.
He said negotiations are ongoing and should be finalized within the year.
He said the lease of new equipment would be financed by the Armed Forces modernization fund.
“If we need more, we will ask for additional budget,” he said.
On Sunday, AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban said a “shopping list” has been submitted by the Philippines to the US.
The list includes long-range patrol aircraft, air defense radars for the Air Force, and patrol vessels for the Navy, he said. – Regina Bengco
bakit ganoon na lang tayo, we keep on begging like beggars kay Uncle Sam. Why not produce our own modern patrol craft or warship? meron naman tayong shipyard at pwede nman makabili ng modern armaments fron other countries other than US. A warship that suit our defense needs and provided and mounted with radar, missiles or as required. It will create more jobs and opportunities for our country. Afterall, China is producing their own war equipment and armaments why not us? Wag tayong maniwala sa Amerika at pwede ba tumayo naman tayo sa sarili nating paa.
Jake, imposibleng mag-bid ang CNOOC ng China. Gobyerno ang may-ari noon. Kung gagawin nila yan e para nang inamin nilang sa Pilipinas nga yung parteng yun ng South China Sea.
“I just hope the ships won’t get cannibalized like what they’re doing to the C130′s in the airforce.” – mike
There’s nothing worthwhile to strip from these antiquated ships. Best is to sink these ships in Palawan as coral reefs.
But Pinas won’t do that, they’ll sell it as scraps.