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| Philippines seeks US defense boost amid China row | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 26 2012, 06:08 PM (1,287 Views) | |
| israeli | Apr 26 2012, 06:08 PM Post #1 |
 
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Philippines seeks US defense boost amid China row Agence France-Presse 5:51 pm | Thursday, April 26th, 2012 MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines said Thursday it would seek more US military help during top-level talks next week, as it ignored a warning from China not to “internationalize” a tense territorial dispute. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines was looking to the United States to help it achieve a “credible” defense system, and wanted to extract maximum benefits from a mutual defense treaty between the allies. <snipped> “We are going to the United States in order to be able to maximize the benefits derived out of this mutual defensse treaty,” Del Rosario told reporters. “The idea of achieving a minimum credible defense posture is something that we should try to do.” Del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin are expected to meet with their US counterparts Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta in Washington on April 30. <snipped> China on Wednesday warned the Philippines not to “internationalize” the issue and force other countries to take sides. But Del Rosario said Thursday the dispute also impacted other countries that wanted unhampered access to vital sea lanes. “I think all nations who have an interest in keeping freedom of navigation… should be watching carefully as to what is happening there,” he said. “We would want all nations, including the United States, to make a judgment on what is happening there and what the implications are to their own country,” he said. Del Rosario did not say what specific help the Philippines wanted in the US talks, but defense officials earlier said Manila would ask to acquire a coast guard vessel and F-16 fighter jets. <snipped> More of the article here. |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| spearhead | Apr 27 2012, 08:43 AM Post #2 |
DoctorNO, Your Neutral Observer.
  ![]](http://z1.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)
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Why the philippines kept asking for coast guard ships? i thought they wanted to have a capable and decent defence materials. Coast guard ships are not enough. Should ask for missile corvettes and submarines as well aside from those F16 and radars. |
"Men of War must learn the art of numbers or he will not know how to array his troops." - Plato  
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| Furbolling | Apr 27 2012, 01:15 PM Post #3 |
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where are the senator's who voted to kick US out in 90's without ensuring that we have the capability to defend ourselves.. |
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"Brothers!! What we do in life, Echoes through Eternity" -Maximus | |
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| omen | Apr 27 2012, 01:19 PM Post #4 |
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still in key government positions, Erap is running for Manila mayor |
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| THE_NEWS_MAN | Apr 27 2012, 02:15 PM Post #5 |
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Philippines to ask US for excess military hardware MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will ask the United States for excess military hardware in the “2 plus 2″ meeting in Washington DC next week, an defense official said Friday. “We will ask from the US some excess defense articles and the systems that were removed from the Hamilton class that arrived earlier,” Defense Undersecretary Honorio Escueta told reporters in an ambush interview after the closing ceremonies of the Balikatan exercises. Escueta was referring to the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the Navy’s first Hamilton class vessel acquired last year through the Excess Defense Articles program. Among what the equipment taken off from BRP del Pilar when it was turned over to the Philippine Navy were sensors, communications and electronic equipment and close-in weapon systems. Manila would also ask for long range patrol aircrafts and radar systems, Escueta said. A second Hamilton ship from the US Coast Guard will arrive in the country within the year. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario will meet with their US counterparts, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and State Secretary Hilary Clinton, next week to discuss “defense, security, political and economic concerns.” Source |
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| THE_NEWS_MAN | Apr 27 2012, 02:18 PM Post #6 |
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PH, US push to protect ‘mutual interests’ as ‘Balikatan’ ends MANILA, Philippines — As the Balikatan exercises for 2012 drew to a close Friday, the Philippines and the US underscored the need to support each other “in areas of common concern and mutual interest” and “with the assurance of the mutual defense treaty”. “As we bring our shared history of cooperation into the future, it is paramount that we agree on synchronizing our structured responses, protocols and mechanisms to scenarios and situations in areas of common concern and mutual interest,” General Jesse Dellosa, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, said in ceremonies at the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. US Ambassador Harry Thomas in his speech to the American and Filipino troops who participated in the annual event said, “We must conduct all of our activities with respect, with alignment with your priorities, [and] with assurance of our mutual defense treaty.” This year’s Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises were held under the shadow of an ongoing dispute between the Philippines and China over ownership of the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, with Beijing warning Manila that the conflict may escalate into war if it continues to “internationalize” the situation. The Philippines, considered a long-time ally of the US, has urged a world court to intervene in the conflict. Dellosa said that the exercise “has not only improved our capacity to do things together but has also promoted good will with the people.” “I stand before you with pride, as I thank all the participants from the Philippines and the US sides for the successful conclusion of this year’s Balikatan,” Dellosa said in his speech. Lieutenant General Duane Theissen, Commander of the US Marine Corps Forces Pacific, said that it was an honor for the American troops to be in the Philippines for the exercises. “It’s an honor for all of the US forces, all of the members of the Pacific Command, to be with you here in the Philippines today for this exercise and for all of our engagements that we do together,” Thiessen said in his speech. “It has been my privilege to work hand-in-hand and cooperate with all of [the troops and organizers] as we have gone through this exercise,” he said. He described the Balikatan exercises as an “amazing success.” He also praised the “leadership and the vision of the government of the Philippines” and “the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.” “I have been very, very impressed,” Thiessen said. He complemented the soldiers for their hard work and the Filipinos for being “gracious hosts.” Before he delivered his speech, Thomas asked all the American troops present to stand and to give thanks to the Filipino troops. “Thank you for letting us conduct this wonderful 28th Balikatan Exercise, we appreciate being in your country, we’ll always treat you with the respect you deserve.” Source |
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| THE_NEWS_MAN | Apr 27 2012, 04:09 PM Post #7 |
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Scrap defense treaty if US won’t help us, says Enrile MANILA, Philippines – If the United States will not help the Philippines in case attacked by China, the country might as well abrogate the Mutual Defense Treaty, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said during a hearing of the Senate’s foreign relations committee chaired by Senator Loren Legarda. Enrile explained that the Philippines cannot ask the US’ help on its claim for ownership of the disputed Scarborough Shoal, “but if our vessels or aircraft are attacked by the other power in the Pacific, then we can invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty otherwise it is meaningless. If they will not come to our rescue, it is better for us to abrogate it.” The Philippines is currently at a stand-off with China after Chinese vessels blocked a Philippine warship from arresting the crew of eight Chinese fishing boats last April 10 at the disputed Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal. Recently, the US government already affirmed its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines amid growing tension between the Philippines and China. China already issued a statement that the Philippines should not “internationalize” the issue because it could only complicate the matter. But Enrile said if the situation in the Scarborough Shoal escalates, “we cannot avoid internationalizing the issue.” Still, Enrile believed that China will not attempt to fire at any Philippine vessel or aircraft “because we have a treaty alliance with an equal superpower of the world.” “We can invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty if China will make the error of firing at us and that is under the ambit of the Mutual Defense Treaty [that] any attack on any vessel of the contracting parties within the Pacific Area is an attack on the other,” Enrile said as he noted that the South China sea is within the treaty area. “So, I think that is why China is very allergic to the matter of raising this internationally and bringing in essentially the US in the picture,” Enrile said. Source |
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| Ayoshi | Apr 27 2012, 04:34 PM Post #8 |
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Facebook Page: Department of National Defense-Philippines |
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| THE_NEWS_MAN | Apr 27 2012, 07:19 PM Post #9 |
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US stands by defense treaty with PH MANILA, Philippines - The United States assured the Philippines of the coverage of the 2 countries' decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty amid the standoff between China and the Philippines over the Panatag or Scarborough shoal. US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas made this assurance at the closing of the 28th Balikatan Exercises at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo. In an apparent dig at China, Thomas invoked the theme of respect, specifically respect for the Philippines. "I've learned from my 2 years in the Philippines that we must, in the United States, conduct activities with respect, alignment with priorities, the assurance of the Mutual Defense Treaty and knowing we work with and under the wishes of President Aquino and Secretary of Defense (Voltaire) Gazmin, the civilian leadership of the country,” he said. The ambassador thanked the Philippine government for the conduct of the 28th Balikatan exercise. Thomas set aside his prepared speech and delivered brief remarks where he thanked both sides for the exercises. "I made my staff very nervous. Now they go, 'What's he gonna say? Doesn't he understand we have upcoming meetings in Washington? Is he gonna cause an international incident? How’s the press going to report this? Is he getting us in trouble again?" he joked. Thomas was apparently referring to his remarks before a gathering of justices last year when he caused a stir by saying 40% of foreign tourists in the country come for sex tourism. At the start of his speech, he asked the Americans in the gathering to remain standing and thank the Philippine side. ]Source |
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| adrian_yamato | Apr 27 2012, 08:02 PM Post #10 |
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I'm from the City of Manila, i born here, i raised here, i don't like Erap to run on the city i loved since birth, he maybe born here: but he left to be the mayor of San Juan, i rather put my bet on other candidates, not him , maraming qualified na lihitimong tumakbo dito, dun na lang siya sa San Juan |
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"There's only one Government, one Armed Forces, one Contitution, & one Filipino people" -word of then Gen. Angelo T. Reyes during the Mindanao war against the MILF & Abu Sayaff- "The Army is like a cooked Spaggetti, You can't push it, you have to pull it after you" -Gen George S. Patton- 
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2:47 PM Jul 13