Joint activities with US pushed

MANILA, Philippines - The panel tasked to negotiate with the United States regarding the plan to increase rotational presence of American troops in the country is pushing for joint activities that would boost maritime security and disaster response capabilities.

Panel member Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said maritime domain awareness and disaster and humanitarian relief are among the key areas that they would like to prioritize.

“There should be focus on high-impact, high-value exercises and activities that will focus on maritime security, maritime domain awareness and our perennial problem with disasters,” Batino said in a statement yesterday.

The panel, however, ruled out any joint combat exercise that would involve American forces in efforts aimed at curbing local insurgency.

“In one case, the Supreme Court already placed limitations in the operations of the US in the Philippines and we are strictly abiding with the doctrine enunciated in that case,” Batino said.

While the Philippine and US panels have yet to finalize the activities to be covered by the deal, Batino said they want an agreement that would beef up the military’s security and disaster response efforts.

The Philippines and the US have adopted a policy of increased rotational presence amid the growing aggressive actions of China in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine panel is led by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta and includes Batino, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III and Defense Assistant Secretary Raymund Quilop.

The US panel is led by State Department senior negotiator for military agreements Eric John and includes State Department Attorney Advisor Elizabeth Jones, Brig. Gen. Joaquin Malavet, and Capt. Greg Bart.

The two panels started the negotiations last Wednesday on a framework agreement that was supposed to help the Philippines achieve a minimum credible defense.

The talks started amid protests by militant groups who claim that the increased rotational presence of US troops would violate Philippine sovereignty.

Critics of the policy also believe that the access agreement would just reduce the Philippines into “a “giant weapons depot for the US forces.”