Metro Manila, Philippines—The deployment of the US mid-range missile system to the Philippines is a “contributor to force readiness” instead of a threat to regional security, a Pentagon spokesperson told NewsWatch Plus on background on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The spokesperson added that any decision on the stationing of missile systems is not unilateral. “US decisions around the deployment of capabilities are taken in close coordination and consultation with our allies and partners,” the US Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement to NewsWatch Plus when asked about the extended stay of the Typhon missile launcher “longer than expected.”The Pentagon added that defense equipment deployment is part of the military alliance with the Philippines and the broader regional interest.“These activities are part of our normal, longstanding defense relationship with the Philippines and contribute to force readiness and regional security,” the official said. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Friday that there are no immediate plans to withdraw the Typhon missile system currently stationed in Luzon, adding that Manila is looking to acquire its own mid-range missile capability in the future.Año said the equipment serves its purpose to upgrade military capacity and skills.Wala pang planong i-pullout yan… [No plans to pull out so far] but for now we need the, what you call, the Typhon missile launcher for our training and capability upgrading ng ating [our] armed forces,” Año said.Kailangan alam din natin kung paano mag-operate nito because in the future ito yung mga equipment na gusto nating ma-procure,” he added.[Translation: We need to know how to operate it, because these are the equipment that we want to procure in the future.]Another reliable source told NewsWatch Plus that there are talks of possible procurement of at least two Typhon missile systems. China has expressed strong opposition to the deployment of the missile system.China has made clear our opposition more than once. The deployment is a move to turn back the wheel of history. It gravely threatens regional countries’ security, incites political confrontation, and has aroused high vigilance and concerns of countries in the region,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.We urge relevant countries to heed the call of countries in the region, correct the wrongdoing as soon as possible, stop inciting military confrontation, quickly pull out the missile system as publicly pledged, and avoid going further down the wrong path,” it added.In response, Año said the Philippines makes defense decisions on its own.Nobody can dictate us on what to do. At the same time, it is also our duty to perform our role as partners of the United States as far as the Mutual Defense Treaty is concerned, and we know what is best for our country. They cannot dictate anything to us,” he said, referring to the 1951 deal that Washington has reiterated its “ironclad” commitment to enforce in the face of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
PH to China: US missile system not ‘destabilizing’
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo previously assured Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that the US missile system in the Philippines is not a threat to regional stability.The Typhon was deployed in April as part of the Salaknib joint exercises between Philippine and US forces. It is a land-based, ground-launched platform capable of firing the Standard Missile 6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. It includes a battery operations center, four launchers, prime movers, and modified trailers.Manalo recalled his conversation with Wang in Vientiane, Laos, in August, where he reassured the Chinese official that “there is nothing to be worried about.Wang had expressed concern, warning that the deployment could escalate regional tensions and trigger an arms race.“He [Wang] said it could be destabilizing, the presence, and I said, no, they’re not destabilizing, and that I believe the particular missiles he’s referring to are only there temporarily,” Manalo said during a forum with foreign correspondents.Wang also warned that introducing the US intermediate missile system could increase tensions and confrontations in the region.I think they made it very dramatic. It was a warning. He mentioned it, and I said, ‘You shouldn’t be worried,’” Manalo said during the forum.
