Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8) — An official of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday said the country is “lukewarm” to the idea of joint patrols with China in light of the China coast guard blockade of Ayungin Shoal.
“Because of what happened over the weekend, lukewarm tayo doon [we are lukewarm to that],” said Jonathan Malaya, NSC director general and spokesperson of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
He said the country has no visiting forces agreement with the Asian giant.
“Ang pinaka importante kasi is for us to have a legal basis for the joint maritime exercises or kung anuman yung kanilang pino-propose. Kasi wala tayong visiting forces agreement or wala tayong similar arrangement with China so papanong pupunta yung mga tropa nila dito or papano magkakaroon ng ganong klaseng activities between China and the Philippines without a similar arrangement?” Malaya said.
[Translation: The most important thing here is for us to have a legal basis for the joint maritime exercises or whatever they are proposing. Because we have no visiting forces agreement or no similar arrangement with China so how can their troops come here or how can there be these activities between China and the Philippines without a similar arrangement?]
In July, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said China offered to conduct joint military exercises — an offer he said the country will have to study first. Talks were still informal, he said.
In Tuesday’s interview with the media, Malaya also said planned joint patrols with the United States could be a deterrent against similar incidents in the future.
“Yes, definitely we can consider that a deterrence primarily because the purpose… is freedom of navigation. At yung ginagawa natin ngayon in resupplying our troops in Ayungin Shoal is also a form of expressing freedom of navigation ensuring the freedom of navigation in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” said Malaya.
Earlier this month, Malaya said Manila and Washington were finalizing details for the joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea.
