US, Philippine troops talks start Wednesday
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - The Philippines and the United States (US) will start on Wednesday the negotiations for an agreement that will increase the rotational presence of American forces in the country amid China’s aggressive acts in the region.
The agreement, which will be on top of the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), is expected to set parameters for activities that can be undertaken by the two countries.
“This week, diplomacy and defense will once again intersect to secure our nation. This week will mark the start of our negotiations with the United States to institutionalize this policy of increased rotational presence through a framework agreement,†Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario told reporters on Monday in Camp Aguinaldo.
“We are steadfastly for peace but we are ready to tap any resource and call on any alliance to do what is necessary to defend what is ours,†he added.
The Philippine negotiating panel consists of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta, Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and Defense Assistant Secretary Raymund Quilop.
The US panel, meanwhile, will be led by Eric John, senior negotiator for military agreements of the State Department.
Sorreta said the first round of talks would be held from morning to evening at the Department of National Defense's office in Camp Aguinaldo.
“There are things that we can do under the existing agreements we have but we have a policy now with the United States on increased rotational presence and we want to institutionalize it,†Sorreta said.
He declined to elaborate on the activities to be covered by the agreement, saying this would form part of the negotiations.
When asked what activities cannot be done under the previous agreements with the US, Sorreta said: “You might want ask that question with the United States in terms of their ability to engage in some of these activities. Go ahead and ask them and tell us what they tell you.â€
Signed in 1951, the Mutual Defense Treaty was signed by the Philippines and the US “to declare publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack.â€
Under the treaty, the two countries, separately or jointly, shall maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
The VFA, meanwhile, was meant to enhance the defense ties between the Philippines and the US through the conduct of military exercises.
The agreement, which allowed American forces to conduct trainings in the country, was ratified by the Senate in 1999 amid protests by militant groups who claim that it violates Philippine sovereignty.
Officials could not tell when they could forge an agreement. Sorreta, however, said the talks would require at least four rounds of negotiations.
Batino clarified that the agreement to be forged would not cover specifics like the number of US troops to be deployed and the equipment to be brought to the country. These details, Batino said, would be determined by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Pacific Command.
“The framework agreement will only provide general parameters and principles under which the increased rotational presence will be implemented,†he said.
“It’s up to the Philippines to approve each activity, if it feels it is to our benefit and it is not detrimental to our interest or to our constitutional laws.â€
Guiding principles
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the Philippine negotiating panel would be guided by the following principles: strict compliance with the Philippine Constitution, laws, and jurisprudence, Philippine sovereignty, non-permanence of US troops in Philippine territory, non-exclusivity of use of facilities by the US side, and mutuality of benefits.
“It is in the interest of further deepening cooperation between our countries that we are engaging each other as regards increased rotational presence,†Gazmin said.
“This will enable the Philippines and the US to conduct activities such as bilateral exercises, including the prepositioning of equipment for disaster response and development of Philippine facilities, among others,†he added.
Del Rosario assured the public that the negotiations with the US would be transparent. He said the negotiating panel would conduct media briefings after every round of talks.
“Transparency is extremely important in these negotiations. Our people need to know that our laws are observed and our interests are protected at all times,†the country’s top diplomat said.
Officials are still determining whether the deal would come in the form of an executive agreement.
“This is a work in progress. We are looking at this agreement to be between the Department of National Defense and the Department of Defense of the United States and therefore the signatories will be representatives of those departments,†Sorreta said.
Last year, the US announced plans to deploy majority of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020. Then US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the move was part of Washington’s efforts to boost its presence in the Asia Pacific.
The US naval assets would be realigned from a roughly 50-50 split between the Pacific and the Atlantic to about 60-40 split between those oceans. The US has also increased its military aid to the Philippines from $30 million next fiscal year to about $50 million, said to be the highest level since 2000.
The actions of US were seen as measures to counter the aggressive activities of China in the West Philippine Sea, the subject of a territorial row in the region.
China has shored up its presence in the disputed waters and has intruded into areas that are well within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
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