Teodoro: China actions necessitate genuine modernization of Navy, PCG

MANILA, Philippines — In the face of China’s “egregious” violation of maritime laws as shown by its vessels’ dangerous maneuver recently to block a Filipino resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said there is now a more urgent need for genuine modernization of the navy and the coast guard – and not just for show.

Teodoro announced new initiatives to modernize the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard.

“We will carry it out through a comprehensive re-strategization, along with forging alliances. It’s natural. Alliances are normal, even China has alliances. So we have to consider this. I’m giving them time to start ‘re-horizoning’ and ‘rethinking’ modernization,” he told reporters in Filipino yesterday during the commissioning by the Navy of two Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships donated by the US.

He said that with China’s growing brazenness in asserting its sweeping maritime claim, the PCG and the Navy should have a credible deterrent posture, and that only an honest to goodness modernization could make that possible.

On Friday, Philippine resupply boats were able to slip past Chinese coast guard (CCG) and maritime militia vessels to deliver provisions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal where a handful of Marines are stationed.

“We will continue to resupply BRP Sierra Madre and of course the PCG were once again dangerously harassed. This is to me irresponsible behavior on the part of the CCG and I think that the world knows who is in the right here,” Teodoro said.

“So it doesn’t need much more saying or talking about. The world has reacted before to the water cannoning and I think what has to be underscored here is that there was no water cannoning but the maneuver they did was more dangerous to our PCG,” he said.

“What the CCG did was an egregious violation of maritime safety. I’m not a ship captain but you can clearly tell they were dangerously close. And if something bad happened, who gets the blame? We’re moving straight, escorting our vessels. So who’s being irresponsible? The answer is obvious,” Teodoro said in Filipino.

He also said human resource skills and retraining of civilian and military employees would also be needed to speed up transition to territorial defense.

During the commissioning of the two new boats now named BRP Valentin Diaz (PS177) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS178), US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson lauded the Philippines’ “courageous” stand in upholding international order and in defending its rights in the West Philippine Sea.

She said the launch of the two cyclone class patrol vessels has brought “real, strategic benefit, not just to the Philippines, but to our alliance and to the region” at an “important time when the maritime security environment in the Indo-Pacific is increasingly complex.”

“This ceremony symbolizes continued US support for our Philippine Navy allies, who are on the frontlines defending Philippine sovereign rights in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea,” Carlson said during the transfer ceremony.

“From patrolling Philippine waters, to protecting legitimate economic activity and combatting illegal fishing, to delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the missions undertaken by these two vessels will not be easy,” she said.

Carlson cited the two vessels’ glowing history of service while in US Navy as the USS Monsoon and USS Chinook, which patrolled the Arabian Gulf in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

“It is an honor to be here today to recognize the continued strong ties between the United States and the Philippine Navy – part of our broader bilateral relationship as steadfast friends, partners in prosperity and ironclad allies,” she said.

“I am particularly excited to help celebrate the commissioning of these vessels as they enter the Philippine Navy’s fleet, funded through US foreign military financing in the amount of P780 million or $13.8 million,” she added.

“As the Philippines continues its courageous stand to uphold the international order and defend its rights in the West Philippine Sea, rest assured the United States stands with you in this all-important endeavor,” Carlson said.

The ambassador said senior military leaders from the US and the Philippines are set to gather in Manila “in the coming days” for the annual Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board meeting.

“All these engagements, large and small, help strengthen the US-Philippine Alliance, building trust and enhancing interoperability – providing protection for us all,” she added.

Meanwhile, PCG-West Philippine Sea spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said the emergence of a US Navy aircraft during the tense-filled resupply mission last Sept. 8 was not coordinated with the PCG.

Tarriela told “The Source” members of the media who were on board the PCG’s BRP Cabra spotted a US plane while Chinese maritime vessels were harassing PCG ships BRP Cabra and BRP Sandingan.

“They were able to see a Poseidon plane of the US Navy. On the part of the PCG, we were not aware, we were never in coordination with the US government about this overflight, as the resupply mission was ongoing,” said Tarriela.

However, he was not certain if there was coordination between other branches of the Philippine government and the US embassy. — Pia Lee-Brago, Evelyn Macairan, Ramon Lazaro