29th Phl-US Balikatan war games start

MANILA, Philippines -  This year’s Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States kicked off yesterday amid the ongoing dispute in the West Philippine Sea and the growing tension in the Korean peninsula.

While the training is supposed to focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, officials said the drills would also help maintain stability in the region.

“This year’s Balikatan comes at a crucial time for my country and my region,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said during the exercise’s opening rites in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

“Balikatan, with its complex and comprehensive set of exercises, is an important contribution in not only preparing both our armed forces to work together, but also in building my country’s own capacity to defend itself,” he added.

Del Rosario said regional peace and stability have been placed at “serious risk” due to China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea.

“Excessive and exaggerated maritime and territorial claims have not only created uncertainty but have undermined the rule of law,” he said.

While Del Rosario was straightforward in putting Balikatan in the context of the territorial row, officials are careful not to relate the drills with the Korean peninsula tensions.

When asked what would be the role of US troops who joined Balikatan in the event that the tension in Korea escalates, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. remarked: “We never deal with the hypothetical.”

“My job as a diplomat is to work toward peace. We’ll continue to work for peace,” he said.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista nevertheless said Balikatan is a product of deliberate planning “in the context of dynamic and evolving challenges in the region.”

“Balikatan is a clear affirmation of a shared commitment between the Philippines and the United States armed forces to move shoulder to shoulder for stability, security and development,” he said.

About 8,000 Filipino and American troops will participate in the exercises to be held from April 5 to 17.

A total of 20 US air assets, 12 of them fighter jets, will participate in this year’s exercise.

The twelve F/A-18 Hornets, which are designed to attack ground targets, will land at Clark Air Base, Pampanga.

The US Navy ship that will join the military exercise docked in Manila Bay last Tuesday to offload military personnel and equipment.

Nine air assets from the Philippine Air Force, two naval vessels and one islander plane will also be deployed to assist the participants.

Exercises will be held in Camp O’Donnell and Crow Valley in Tarlac, Subic Bay, and Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Allies from the region were also invited to take part in the security roundtable discussion in Camp Aguinaldo next week. Invited were Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.  -With Jaime Laude, Pia Lee-Brago, Ding Cervantes