Philippines to set up more bases to protect territory; navy drills kick off

THE PHILIPPINES will set up more military bases to protect its territory, its defense chief said on Tuesday, amid rising tensions with China.

The locations of the new bases are not yet known, but they are likely to be built along the coast, Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro, Jr. told GMA Network news. “These will be joint sites of the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and civilian agencies.”

The groundwork for the new Philippine bases will start next year, he added.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened in recent weeks amid rising encounters between their coast guards in the South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. The Philippines has vowed to stand up to any incursions.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last week defended the Philippine Coast Guard’s removal of a floating barrier installed by China at Scarborough Shoal, which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing spot about 200 kilometers (124 miles) off the Philippines, has been the site of decades of on-off disputes over sovereignty.

China, which calls the rocky outcrop Huangyan Island, has accused the Philippines of “intruding” in Chinese waters. Last month, it warned Manila to steer clear of provocations.

“China firmly upholds the sovereignty and maritime rights of Huangyan Island, and we advise the Philippine side not to provoke and cause trouble,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a news briefing.

The shoal is a traditional fishing ground that should be open to Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese fishermen, according to a 2016 arbitral ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal that voided China’s sea claims.

Forces from Manila, Britain, Canada, Japan and the United States kicked off on Monday two weeks of joint naval exercises in Philippine waters as a “show of force” amid flaring regional tension.

With more than 1,800 participants, the drills follow last week’s move by China to block Philippine fishermen from Asia’s most contested maritime feature, the Scarborough Shoal, held by China in the South China Sea.

This year’s “Sama-Sama” drills are being held in the southern part of the island of Luzon, featuring naval exercises in areas such as anti-submarine warfare, air defense and search and rescue, the Philippine navy said.

“With this show of force and active engagement of our allies and partners, ‘Sama-Sama’ transcends mere military exercises,” Philippine navy chief Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci said at the opening event.

“It is a symbol of our enduring partnerships and our shared commitment to security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”

In his remarks, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, the commander of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, said, “It is important that all nations have a right to sail and operate in the West Philippine Sea, free from… being coerced, free from being intimidated.”

The West Philippine Sea refers to the portion of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines.

Five vessels, two from the United States, and one each from Britain, Canada and Japan, joined the Philippine-hosted drills that will run until Oct. 13.

The navies of Australia, France, Indonesia and New Zealand also joined in by sending observers and experts.

“I am confident that no potential aggressor should be under any illusion other than this is a strong team of nations, a strong team of navies… one navy sailing and operating together,” Mr. Thomas added.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly sparred over the Scarborough, but tensions had ebbed under the previous pro-China administration in Manila.

Ties have soured this year, however, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who authorized the cutting of the cordon, seeks to strengthen relations with the United States.

Such efforts included giving the US expanded military access to Philippine bases, a move criticized by China as provocative and liable to stoke regional tension.

Vessels of the two countries have faced off several times this year elsewhere in Philippine EEZ.

Manila has accused Beijing’s coast guard of dangerous and aggressive acts such as using a military-grade laser to deter a resupply mission to troops stationed on a rusty, grounded warship.

China says that occupation is illegal. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza with Reuters