AFP chief rallies troops in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri yesterday rallied the troops on maritime and territorial duties in the West Philippine Sea to remain steadfast in performing their mandate in securing the country’s western frontier.

Iriberri made a visit to the Western Command (Wescom) in Palawan where officials briefed him on prevailing security developments in the region as well as other security concerns in the entire island province.

Also tackled was the security challenges brought about by increasing number of tourist arrivals to Palawan.

Wescom reported Palawan is visited by almost one million tourists yearly and the number is increasing. The officials discussed security concerns to protect the increasing number of tourists.

On developing security concerns in the West Philippine Sea, Iriberri said that while the AFP may be lagging behind in terms of equipment to defend the country’s maritime domain, the troops are equipped with the knowledge that they are on the right path.

“Wescom’s most potent weapons (against a claimant country) is the legality, morality and righteousness of our claims,” Iriberri told the troops.

He rallied the troops to continue their mandated tasks of protecting the people and the state.

Japan’s defense ministry document which Tokyo released recently noted the vast gap both in quality and quantity of navy and air force capabilities among claimant states in the South China Sea.

The report showed China as the mightiest and the Philippines as poorly equipped, with only handful and ageing planes and warships.

China has been advancing aggressively its so-called “rightful” maritime claim to almost the entire South China Sea for the last two years, building artificial islands, now bustling with infrastructure developments, on its occupied seven reefs.

The Philippines, while filing a series of diplomatic protests, could only watch Beijing continue its encroachment.

The diplomatic protests by the Philippine government were simply dismissed by China as without basis, forcing Manila under the dictum of “right is might” to file an international arbitration before the United Nations (UN) International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea to legally resolve the maritime row.

 Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, in a recent forum hosted by the Department of National Defense (DND) at Camp Aguinaldo, said The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration is expected to come out with its ruling on the Philippine maritime case either in the first or second quarter of next year.