Ample US military presence sought in Philippines

MANILA: Representatives of the Philippines and the US on Tuesday opened a two-day meeting in which one of the major items in the agenda is increased American military presence in the country, a ranking official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.

Carlos Sorreta, the DFA assistant secretary for US affairs, told reporters that aside from increased presence as well as more visits by American warplanes and naval vessels, officials would also discuss a hike in US military assistance to the Philippine armed forces.

“Foremost in the agenda,” Sorreta pointed out, “is the increase in the rotational presence of US forces in the Philippines.”

The visiting forces agreement (VFA) signed by the two countries allows the presence of American soldiers in the country to participate in annual military exercises or “war games” with their Filipino counterparts.

The VFA also allows the rotational presence of about 600 US military forces in restive Mindanao where they are to train and advice Filipino soldiers in the campaign particularly against the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf extremists who appear to operate with impunity on the island provinces of Sulu and Basilan.

Sorreta assured that during the meeting, officials would not focus on the Philippines territorial standoff in the South China Sea, renamed by Manila as the West Philippine Sea.

“But as public officials, they are answerable to their people and their security, it is very difficult not to discuss the (issue) on the West Philippine Sea,” Sorreta stressed.

The meeting gained significance when Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines favoured the proposal for Japan to drop its pacifist constitution and rearm so it could act as a balance against China’s emergence as a global military power.

Del Rosario made known the country’s stand in an interview with the Financial Times of London in which he was quoted as saying: “We are looking for balancing factors in the region and Japan could be a significant balancing factor.”

Since April, the Philippines has been engaged with a standoff with China over the Scarborough Shoal in the South China, known as Pagasa to the Filipinos and Huangyan to the Chinese.

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