AFP will conduct drill outside its territorial sea for the first time under Balikatan
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will conduct a maritime exercise with allied forces outside the country's territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea for the first time under the 39th annual bilateral exercise with the United States dubbed as "Balikatan".
In an interview with reporters, Balikatan executive agent Col. Michael Logico confirmed that unlike the previous exercises with the United States, this year's drill will not only be limited within the 12 nautical miles Philippine territorial sea, specifically the group sail that will be participated by the French Navy and the Philippines and US navies and coast guards.
"A group (sail) is a maritime exercise and the events that take place there are a combination of division tactics, search and rescue... board and search and seizure exercises, gunnery exercises... well deck operations, those are types of exercises so they will be moving from point A to point B," he said.
"We will be utilizing the western side of Palawan, extending beyond our 12 nautical miles so this is also a new thing. We've done group sails before but this time we will be going beyond our 12 nautical mile limitation. So this is, like I said in previous exercises we've been limited to just 12 nautical miles, now we are encouraging or we are venturing outwards, beyond that," he added.
Logico explained that the group sail will be conducted in international waters due to the absence of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) or Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between France and the Philippines.
"When you are talking beyond 12 nautical miles that is already international waters ok so the France's presence is easily justified, they are exercising (Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), ok on their side they are exercising FONOPs but they are incorporating themselves into the group sail and then it just so happened that they are performing comms exercises, division tactics exercises," he said.
"Because in the absence of a SOFA, we don't have a VFA, but we are working out with countries that we don't have a treaty with, we come up with status of forces, if you don't have that the easiest thing that you can do is to conduct a group sail that is beyond territorial waters so that the, for as long as they are not putting French boats on the ground, that is allowed," he added.
Logico did not say when the group sail will be held but he noted that "it will be actually happening (in) the earlier part of the (Balikatan) exercise."
"I can only say that for the AFP we have four ships, I am sure there is at least one from France, from the US Coast Guard I'm not sure, I will know in the coming weeks," he said.
Amid the existing conflict with China in the West Philippine Sea, Logico stressed that the Philippines will " not be deterred by how other countries think" about the military exercise and noted that every country has the right to defend themselves.
"All countries big or small have the right to defend itself, this right is absolute and inalienable. we are not deterred by how other countries think about what we are doing ok, i want to make that clear kasi you cannot defend the country worried about what other people are thinking. so they will have to pick it as it is," he said.
Logico noted that "the message that we want to send is that we are serious about defending our territory and we have allies, that's basically it and the alliance is still going strong."
"Balikatan exercise is a demonstration of our combat readiness, the entire intent is to deter and if we cannot deter we will defend, and when we defend the objective is to win," he said.
"Well we are inside our (exclusive economic zone) and I believe that we have a right to be there," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
