‘Philippines needs lethal defense capabilities in West Philippine Sea’

MANILA, Philippines — An administration lawmaker proposed yesterday that the Philippines acquire “lethal defense” capabilities as a means to defend the country’s territories, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The call was made by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, House ways and means committee chairman, in reaction to the forcible taking of rocket wreckage by the Chinese Coast Guard from the Philippine Navy in the WPS back in November.

In a statement, Salceda said the Philippines should adopt a policy of “deterrence through lethal firepower” to prevent a repeat of the incident.

While noting that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already filed a diplomatic protest on the matter, he said “diplomacy alone is not enough.”
“The glove of diplomacy must be backed by lethal punching power,” Salceda said.

Citing his observations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said that “while some countries may be military superpowers, cheap but lethal military technology has tilted the balance of military power these days in favor of defenders.”

“So we can gain access to a broad range of military capabilities from artillery to unmanned aerial vehicles or drones capable of credibly fighting a superior enemy,” he stressed.

Salceda said the country can assert its sovereignty over WPS strongly, “with President Marcos’ affirmation of old ties with traditional allies, as well as newfound unity among these allies.”

He expressed hope that the President’s 2024 national expenditure plan will include funding for coastal defense, “as well as arming our own navy with credible firepower.”

Nevertheless, Salceda clarified that he is “not advocating for conflict with China, or anybody for that matter” and that he wants “sustainable peace through good behavior among neighbors.”

“Tall, strong fences make good neighbors. We can’t fence the ocean up, but we can surely build a security umbrella above it. To have firepower capable of precisely firing at targets in the seas from the Philippine mainlands, as well as a navy and air force that can follow it up, I think will provide that umbrella,” he said.

Salceda also expressed support for the Department of National Defense (DND)’s request to acquire multirole fighters (MRFs) under Horizon 3 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, which is scheduled for 2023 to 2028.

“I fully support the AFP and DND in their efforts to acquire advanced aircraft systems capable of fully covering our territorial waters and EEZ,” he said, referring to our exclusive economic zone.

Horizon 3 includes a provision that aircraft to be acquired must have existing radar systems that have a range of about 250 nautical miles.

“These capabilities will provide us the means to patrol and defend our EEZ with relative ease,” said Salceda.

“MRFs, along with long-range artillery, and UAVs capable of flying above the sea would bolster our capabilities as a credible naval force in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” he added.

Salceda pointed out that next to Indonesia, the Philippines has the vastest EEZ in ASEAN.

“Most of Indonesia’s waters are far from contested seas. We have more contested maritime areas than Indonesia. So, we are ASEAN’s maritime guardians. If we fail here, we fail the region,” he said.

He cautioned that if the country fails the region, “the vital maritime passageways that we cover will be in danger.”

“That’s why we have a global responsibility to do a good job, and we must make the case to the world that they have a responsibility to help us,” Salceda stressed.