Philippine, US forces to bring Balikatan to edge of EEZ

Philippine and US forces will bring this year’s Balikatan joint military exercises beyond the country’s territorial waters to the edge of its exclusive economic zone.

According to Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras,” warships of both countries will participate in the joint training despite the presence in the area of Chinese vessels, coast guard, and fishing militia.

China is also claiming as its own parts of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

As regards the tension with China that the joint exercises may cause in the West Philippine Sea, Col. Mike Logico said, “Well, that’s their problem. That’s not our problem.”

“Our defense concepts have to go beyond 12 nautical miles in order for us to protect our national interest within our territory, within our territorial waters, and also within the exclusive economic zone,” Logico told Super Radyo dzBB.

Logico is the executive agent of the Balikatan exercises this year.

Security analyst Prof. Renato De Castro said the root cause of the tension is the presence of Chinese forces in the Philippines’ EEZ.

“If they will only stay in their exclusive economic zone, there won’t be any tension,” De Castro said.

China has said that the Philippines had been drawing in countries from outside the region to support its provocations in the area while disregarding a supposed consensus among nations in Southeast Asia.

However, several Southeast Asian countries are among the 13 observers in the Philippines-US joint military drills scheduled in April and in May.

They include Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. —NB, GMA Integrated News