Obama: US to provide two more ships to Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The United States will provide two more ships to the Philippine Navy, which is struggling to secure the country’s territorial waters due to its limited capabilities.

US President Barack Obama said the transfer of the two vessels is part of his country’s larger plan to support its allies and partners across the region including the Philippines.

"I can announce that we intend to transfer two additional ships to the Philippine Navy—a research vessel to help map out its territorial waters and another Coast Guard cutter to bolster the Navy's ability to conduct long endurance patrols,” Obama said during his visit to the Philippine Navy ship BRP Gregorio del Pilar in Manila on Tuesday.

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“More capable navies and partnership with the United States are critical for the security of this region,” he added.

Obama made the announcement amid the ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea, a busy sea lane where more than $5-trillion worth of trade passes through every year.

China claims more than 90 percent of the potentially oil-and-gas rich area while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

To assert what it claimed as its historic rights over South China Sea, China occupied and built military facilities on some disputed areas including those that are being claimed by the Philippines,

The Philippines, one of the weakest in the region in terms of military might, has challenged China's expansive territorial claim before an international arbitral tribunal. The US has vowed not to take sides in the dispute but has called on claimants to follow the rule of law and to settle the issue peacefully.

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Obama, who arrived in the country on Tuesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, said the US plans to provide $250-million worth of maritime security assistance to its partners and allies in the region. He reiterated that the US's alliance with the Philippines—its treaty partner and oldest ally in Asia—is "unbreakable."

"The United States has been committed to the security of this region for more than 70 years. We have a treaty obligation, ironclad commitment to the defense of our ally the Philippines," the US president said.

Philippine Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Leopoldo Alano said the two frigates would be acquired though the US's excess defense program.

"It will add (more ships) to our inventory (that can be used) in patrolling our territorial waters and exclusive economic zone," Alano said in a chance interview.

Alano said the processing of transfer documents takes about six to eight months. He is hopeful that the two vessels will arrive before President Aquino steps down from office in 2016.

When asked what the US would get in return for the donation, Alano said: "We contribute to the security of the region so that would basically be the contribution that we would be giving to them."

When pressed if the giving of the two ships has no strings attached, Alano replied: "None to my knowledge."

Alano was mum on China's possible adverse reaction to the US' donation.

"I am not in the position to state any relationship between this (donation) and with the issues of the West Philippine Sea. My only reply is indeed, this would boost the capabilities of the Philippine Navy," he said.

The US has provided two frigates to the Philippine Navy namely BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which arrived in the country in 2011 and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, which was commissioned in 2013.