STAND TOGETHER MGen Marvin Licudine, US Ambassador to the Philippines Marykay Loss Carlson, Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., General Romero Brawner Jr. and LtGen Michael Cederholm gather for a photo opportunity during the Exercise Balikatan 39-2024 closing ceremony on May 10, 2024 at AFPCOC, Camp Aguinaldo. AFP PHOTO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the international support for the Philippines in asserting its sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is vital in ensuring stability in the maritime domain.
In a media interview in General Santos City, President Marcos said he remains thankful for the global support amid China's aggression in the disuputed waters.
"Kami’y nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga iba’t ibang bansa kahit na nanggagaling sa malayo pa ngunit sila ay handang tumulong sa atin (We are grateful to the various countries, even those from afar, for their willingness to support us),” he said.
Marcos particularly welcomed intentions of the French government to join the military exercises in the WPS to uphold the freedom of navigation.
President Marcos said support from the international community will also guarantee that the global economy will not be impacted.
“Kaya’t lahat ng tumutulong sa atin, lahat ng tumutulong sa Pilipinas, kami’y nagpapasalamat at ito ay magiging malaking bagay, malaking tulong para mapayapa at maging stable ang West Philippine Sea (We thank everyone supporting the Philippines because this would be a significant help to ensure peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea),” the President said.
Around 16,000 Filipino and American soldiers took part in the "Exercise Balikatan" drills from April 22 to May 10.
The first multilateral maritime exercise (MME) among the Philippines, United States, and France ended on April 30.
The five-day MME culminated in a series of demonstrations, including a photo exercise showcasing professionalism and coordination in a simulated formation sailing scenario, and documenting operations through proper photographic techniques for military purposes.
Realistic scenarios in next 'Balikatan' drills
For Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the next edition of the annual US-Philippines "Balikatan" exercises will see heightened action through more realistic scenarios and full battle simulations.
In his speech at the closing rites in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Friday, the Defense chief also extended the President's well wishes to all participants of the three-week drills.
"He (Marcos) looks forward to next year's exercise which will be, I believe, a full battle simulation which will put to the test the combined capabilities in the most realistic of scenarios possible with safety in mind," Teodoro said.
The DND chief also applauded the drills which concluded without untoward incidents.
"That's not easy, given the El Niño period now. It probably posed a significant challenge in operating, particularly to those on the ground," Teodoro said.
Teodoro also echoed the observation made by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson that it had been a productive year for bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Manila and Washington, D.C. and their allies, such as Australia, Japan, France, India, Canada and other "like-minded nations."
This came following the trilateral summit among the Philippines, US and Japan, where key defense and security officials also tackled mutual concerns.
"And we look forward to exercises such as this where at least on the Philippine side, we go out of our normal comfort zone and try to focus on actual soldiering which is what an armed forces need (to be doing) and after this exercise both sides will go back to the drawing board," he added.
Teodoro said Marcos is waiting for an "extensive debrief" of the "Balikatan" successes, aside from the gaps that need to be filled in terms of interoperability, human resources capabilities and sustainment.
Such things are important for the continuation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation of the Philippines with its allies, he added.
"We have also witnessed on the Philippine side the shift towards, as I said, getting out of their comfort zones and I have told the AFP that we will be increasing the pressure continuously for them to evolve as soon as possible into a multi-threat, multi-theater operating armed force consistent with the archipelagic doctrine nature of our country and the necessity for defending it in a proactive and not a passive manner," Teodoro said.
During the drills, participating forces engaged in various training scenarios throughout the exercise to enhance interoperability and readiness across critical areas such as external defense operations, cyber defense, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and inter-agency capacity-building.
This year’s exercise highlighted the combined capabilities of the AFP and the US Armed Forces in addressing complex security challenges through the information warfighter exercise (IWX) that empowered military planners to set the standard for future local IO training programs.
The first-ever multilateral maritime exercise marked a historic milestone in regional cooperation, providing participating countries with invaluable knowledge to propel their naval forces.
In addition, demonstrating proficiency in maritime defense tactics and promoting peace, the counter landing live fire exercise and maritime strike exercise showcased the combined capabilities of the AFP and the US Armed Forces in addressing complex security challenges.
The humanitarian civic action program also extended crucial assistance to over 23,000 Filipino citizens, contributing to nationwide projects and training events.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the exercise reaffirmed the strong bond between the two armed forces and their commitment to uphold peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region.
“I expressed our deepest gratitude for the continuing learning and collaboration. To every soldier, airman, sailor, and marine from all the participating countries, I hope you optimized your takeaways from this year’s Balikatan exercise and utilized this in a more informative and productive Balikatan exercise in the future,” he added.
China disinformation campaign
Meanwhile, NTF-WPS spokesperson, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said China’s intensified disinformation campaign on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and personal attacks against Philippine government officials prove that the country's transparency efforts have been effective.
Tarriela said the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) has increased efforts to carry out information operations and undermine transparency in the WPS through “lies, misinformation and fake news.”
“Exposing their bullying tactics and countering their lies is important to ensure a better future for our next generation,” Tarriela said in a post over X.
The CPP, he said, has resorted to ad hominem or unrelated personal attacks against him and other Philippine government officials.
“Regardless of the ad hominem attacks they may throw at our truth-tellers and patriots who support our fight for WPS, we remain committed to being the messengers of our factual narratives,” he said.
He noted that the campaign over the WPS is for the good of the country and its future.
“I hope that the paid trolls or the pro-China influencers can be able to look straight in the eyes of their children and grandchildren that their fight is not for China’s interest,” he said.
On Wednesday, China announced it would release a recorded phone call between Western Command chief, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, and a Chinese diplomat about an alleged agreement to ease tensions in Ayungin Shoal.
In response, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. doubted the authenticity of the supposed audio recording due to the “propensity of the Chinese government to engage in malign information activities.” PNA
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