PHL, Australia hold 3rd maritime security joint exercises

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN Navy patrol ships were welcomed by the Philippine’s Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom)-Naval Forces on May 14 at the Zamboanga City Pier for the start of the two countries’ joint maritime exercises. Part of the activities are various ship drills and a series of maritime patrols in the Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs), particularly in the waters of ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao), Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi. The WesMinCom-Naval Forces, in a statement, said, “The joint cooperation and continuous conduct of such activities with other regional navies had helped the government in preventing and ending piracy, kidnappings and terrorism in the maritime domain.” Participating in the exercises are two Australian vessels — Her Majesty Australian Ship (HMAS) Albany and Her Majesty Australian Ship Glenelg — with the delegation led by Lt. Col. Judd Finger, commander of Joint Task Force 629. The Philippine Navy, meanwhile, will field five ships: BRP Cebu, BRP Anastacio Cacayorin, BRP Dioscoro Papa, BRP Filipino Flojo, and BRP Gen Mariano Alvarez. — Mindanao Bureau