SPRATLYS: WHAT'S OURS IS OURS; U.S. READY TO PROVIDE MILITARY HARDWARE
MANILA, JUNE 26, 2011 (BULLETIN) By ROY C. MABASA, AP, AFP, and GENALYN D. KABILING - "What is ours is ours, and what is disputed can be shared." Washington honors Manila territorial stand.
Foreign Affairs Secretary made this position of the Philippine government regarding disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) clear to Washington even as Manila stood ready against "any aggressive action" in the area where tension with China has been rising.
During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington, Del Rosario said the "Philippines has made clear its position on the issue to maintain peace while allowing for the economic development of the area."
"There is need to segregate the non-disputed areas from the disputed areas," said Del Rosario, adding that he discussed with Clinton Manila's proposal for "a rules-based regime in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."
The Philippine official said he had told Clinton and other US officials that "while we are a small country, we are prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to any aggressive action in our backyard."
In turn, the US Government said it was ready to provide hardware to modernize the military of the Philippines.
"We are determined and committed to supporting the defense of the Philippines," Clinton said at the news confer-ence when asked about the hardware wish-list from the Philippines.
Clinton said the two nations were working "to determine what are the additional assets that the Philippines needs and how we can best provide those."
She said Del Rosario would meet Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other Pentagon officials.
The Philippines hoped to lease equipment to upgrade its aged fleet and called for the allies to revamp their relationship in light of the friction with China.
Malacañang yesterday welcomed the US support for the Philippines in achieving a peaceful solution to the rising tension with China in the West Philippine Sea.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government will continue to work with the United States and other allies to achieve inclusive growth and peace and stability in the region.
Lacierda made the remarks after the "warm and extremely productive" meeting between Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department in Washington DC.
"It demonstrates that the friendship between the two nations is based on enduring ties of mutual respect and cooperation. We welcome the renewed commitment of both countries to a peaceful, stable, environment in the region and to a multilateral approach to resolving issues," Lacierda said.
Tensions in the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam alarmed at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by Beijing in the disputed waters.
"We are concerned that recent incidents in the South China Sea could undermine peace and stability," Clinton told reporters, urging "all sides to exercise self-restraint."
The Philippines has announced the deployment in disputed waters of its navy flagship, the Rajah Humabon. One of the world's oldest warships, the Rajah Humabon was a US Navy frigate that served during World War II.
The Philippines has historically bought secondhand hardware, but Del Rosario said that President Benigno S. Aquino III has allocated R11 billion ($252 million) to upgrade the navy.
Shortly ahead of his talks with Clinton, Del Rosario said that the Philippines was asking the United States for "an operational lease so that we can look at fairly new equipment and be able to get our hands on that quickly."
"We need to have the resources to be able to stand and defend ourselves and, I think, to the extent that we can do that, we become a stronger ally for you," Del Rosario said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Lacierda hailed the US resolve to the defense of the Philippines under the 60-year-old mutual defense treaty.
The United States signed a defense treaty with the Philippines in 1951, five years after the archipelago's indepen-dence from US colonial rule. Del Rosario said he believed the treaty – which calls for mutual defense in the event of an attack in "the Pacific area" – covers the South China Sea.
Clinton said the US is committed to the defense of the Philippines and providing it with affordable weaponry.
The State Secretary would not comment, specifically on whether the U.S. would provide military assistance in the event of an attack on Philippine forces by China near the disputed Spratly islands, but said that the US would honor its mutual defense treaty with its Asian ally.
"I don't want to discuss hypothetical events, but I want to underscore our commitment to the defense of the Philippines," said Clinton.
She said ultimately the territorial disputes had to be resolved by the claimants, but the US was willing to support a collaborative, diplomatic process by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has attempted to frame a code of conduct with China.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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