I asked the question if the United States military would enter the picture in case of an armed conflict in the South China Sea in the light of the excitement of some Philippine officials and media over the statement of U.S. State Secretary Hillary and U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas about continuing to work with the Philippines on all issues including related to the South China Sea conflict and stands by the Philippine “by our commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty.”
Thomas said: “We are allies. We will continue to work with each other in all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys.” This was at the time when the Philippines was protesting the intrusions of Chinese armed vessels in West Philippine Sea.
Thomas got hearty applause when he repeated that assurance during the launching of the National Renewable Energy Program at the Department of Energy in the presence of President Aquino.
Thomas also said that the US stands “by our commitment under Mutual Defense Treaty.”
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.
The conference to be held on July 5 and 6 at the Dusit Hotel in Makati will have as its theme, “The South China Sea: Toward a Region of Peace, Cooperation, and Progress.”
The FSI is partnering with the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the National Defense College of the Philippines in this conference that will bring in experts on the South China Sea.
Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs
It seems that the situation in the South China Sea is taking a turn for the worse. The increasingly harsh rhetoric is now being backed by a display of muscle. China sent one of its most modern surveillance vessels on a run through the South China Sea from Guangzhou to Singapore. The Philippines sent its largest – and apparently only – warship, a WWII vintage destroyer, on patrol through waters it now calls the West Philippine Sea. Vietnam and China have each conducted live-fire exercises while the U.S. and ASEAN navies have just completed their annual joint naval exercise. This war of words and saber-rattling, if not handled properly, can lead to a situation that would complicate and even make it impossible for a diplomatic solution to be reached.
(With these developments, now I am terrified at the prospect at having him (Domingo Lee) represent our interest during these crucial times. I do not mean to denigrate the nominee’s intellect or age. I just think his abilities and past experience are not suited for this particular post)
Update:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110616/ap_on_re_as/as_china_south_china_sea
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/15750/china-to-boost-maritime-patrols-as-disputes-mount
PH also deployed largest patrol ship to Spratlys area on a ‘routine patrol’ -ABS-CBN
In the midst of rising tension between the Philippines and China over the former’s series of armed intrusions on West Philippine Sea the past five months, he urged President Aquino Wednesday to revive, the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking.
The brainchild of De Venecia, the JMSU which was signed in March 2005, opened the exploration of large portion of West Philippine Sea jointly with initially China and later on, with Vietnam. The first phase which ended in 2007 was to find out the amount of oil and other mineral resources in that area. The second phase didn’t push through because of questions of the constitutionality of the tripartite agreement.
The Philippine Constitution provides that”The exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State.”
Update: Portion of the June 4, 2011 Statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs On the Presence of Chinese Vessels In the West Philippine Sea…
Nakakagalit ngunit hindi naman masyadong nakakagulat ang desisyun ng Sandiganbayan na aprubahan ang plea bargain agreement ng Ombudsman at ni dating Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.
Matagal na itong plantsado ni dating Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Kaya nga noong Marso, nang pina-follow up noon ni Sen. Franklin Drilon kay Gutierrez sa imbestigasyon ng Senado ang kanyang sianbing ipahinto o bawiin ang plea bargain agreement kay Garcia, sinabi niya na pinag-aaralan pa nila. Mag-isang buwan na pag-aaral na yun at marami nang naibulgar si Col. George Rabusa. Talagang gusto talagang palayain si Garcia. At siyempre, nanggaling sa mas mataas ang kuntsabahan.
May nagsabi sa akin na isang mataas na opisyal sa administrasyun ni Gloria Arroyo ang lumalakad sa Sandiganbayan ng kaso ni Garcia. Ang usap-usapan kasi, malaking pera galing sa budget ng military ang napunta sa kampanya ni Arroyo noong 2004.
Following statement was sent by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. I have verified it to be his statement.
No welcome, no send off
When I took over the helm of the Philippine National Police in November 1999,I was told that there was P40M per year in “commander’s reserve” at the exclusive disposal of the C,PNP. I was never interested. I instructed my Director for Comptrollership, then Police Director, now Congressman Romeo Acop of Antipolo City to treat that reserved fund as part and parcel of the general fund for personnel welfare and other operational activities of the command.
The monthly gas allowance for the C, PNP was equivalent to the consumption of 50 vehicles or more even if allowed to run 24 hours a day. Mindful of complaints that police cars often ran out of gas, I ordered the excess allowance downloaded to front line units.
I was likewise presented with a high limit credit card with the information that I could swipe it both for personal and official purposes. Again, I asked my office administrative officer, then Chief Insp. Asper Cabula to return the credit card with clear instructions not to activate it.
There’s a saying in Tagalog “umiikot ang puwit” which means jittery; feeling uneasy and nervous.
The decision of the Supreme Court allowing the House of Representatives to proceed with the impeachment proceeding against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez should make not only Gutierrez nervous but her patrons, the former occupants of Malacañang.
The Supreme Court justices are supposed not to be influenced by public opinion but they would not be human not to be affected by the public outrage over the plea bargain agreement entered into by the Ombudsman with former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.