Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 23) — No less than President Rodrigo Duterte advised against the deployment of maritime militias in the West Philippine Sea due to lack of resources, the country’s defense chief has disclosed.
“Sabi ni Presidente mukhang hindi natin kaya ‘yan, huwag na natin munang gawin dahil wala pa tayong resources,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a chance interview with reporters on Friday, clarifying previous statements by his Navy chief.
[Translation: The President said we may not have the capability, let’s not do it for now because we do not have the resources.]
Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo previously revealed plans to develop “maritime CAFGUs” or Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units that will serve as counterparts of Chinese maritime militia which have been accused of harassing local fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.
Bacordo said in a Senate hearing that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has an existing budget for the deployment, since some CAFGU members only have to be transferred from the control of the Army to the Navy and undergo proper training. The civilian force will patrol the seas, and protect fishermen and natural resources, but will not be armed, Rear Admiral Loumer Bernabe, the Philippine Fleet commander, earlier explained.
READ: PH Navy defends plan to deploy militia to West Philippine Sea to counter China’s
Lorenzana said the government is still testing the waters. Deploying militiamen would be costly, he noted, since bigger ships have to be procured.
“Alam ninyo mukhang… nabigla rin si Admiral Bacordo noong sinabi niyang mayroon na (budget) pero wala pa talaga,” Lorenzana said. “There is a plan but nasa isip pa lang namin ‘yung mga militia.”
[Translation: It seems Admiral Bacordo was also taken aback when he said there’s already a budget but there’s none. There’s a plan but we’re still thinking about the militia.]
Lorenzana added that even China has never admitted to maintaining a maritime fleet in contested waters.
“Sabi nila wala silang militia (They say there’s no militia), those are fishermen, so let us take their words as it is, on face value, but we should also verify,” Lorenzana said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has filed diplomatic protests against the swarming of Chinese vessels around Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island. It is one of the biggest islands in the disputed Spratlys in the South China Sea and seat of the Kalayaan municipal government under the province of Palawan.
China insists on owning the global waterway, including areas that are part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. The 2016 arbitral ruling which China rejects said Beijing violated the Philippines’ rights when it blocked Filipino fishermen from fishing, built artificial islands, and interfered in petroleum exploration in the West Philippine Sea.
