The Manila Times

Beware of joint patrols in the South China Sea

the Aquino 3rd administration to forge EDCA, anger in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and among countless Filipinos over such a patroling incident could get Washington its wish to make our nation its main military platform in Asia, so crucial in defending Taiwan.

Implementing EDCA was exactly what Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) urged in its open letter to then-President-elect Joseph Biden in December 2020, citing the plan by the US Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu to position missiles in our country under EDCA (https://www.csis.org/analysis/ us-alliance-philippines):

“Much of our current planning rests on the assumption that EDCA will be implemented. US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) hopes to disperse US forces, including Marine and Army units, along the first island chain running from Japan through Southeast Asia. In a contingency, these small, mobile teams would support US air and naval operations and hold Chinese vessels at risk with ground-based missile units. It is a sound strategy to counter China’s naval and missile advantages in its near waters. But the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that might realistically host such assets. So, these plans require saving the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) and implementing EDCA.”

With the Ukraine invasion in February and today’s Taiwan war fears, America’s need for EDCA rollout to use our country against the PLA is now even greater. So is the urge to instigate animosity and alarm against China among those seeking to get the agreement off the backburner and into high gear.

Ironically, while the DND is exploring the joint patrols idea, which the Duterte government never adopted, it is pushing ahead with the past administration’s late decision to void the purchase of 12 Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters from Russia, for which the Philippines had already paid a P2-billion deposit. Guess which embassy is cheering both moves.

The President must weigh in

As the DFA and the DND ponder joint patrols, it’s high time the real decision-maker weighs in on this issue, which could land our troops in a bloody incident, if not a full-scale war, in which we should never get involved.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should look at all sides of the joint sea patrols, which may undermine his correct policy of making the Philippines a friend to all and an enemy to none.

National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos should also make her voice heard, especially her rightful advocacy for our own security and foreign policy, free from foreign influence.

Even Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla should speak up on whether naval patrols would violate the 2002 Declaration on the South China Sea, especially its provision barring military deployment in disputed areas.

And while we’re at it, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio can say why her father never authorized joint patrols.

Opinion

en-ph

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/281676848691825

The Manila Times