Live firing and fight readiness drills had been among the many joint army workout routines carried out by Philippine and US troops in varied places within the nation as a part of the most important Balikatan train to this point.
According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, Javelin surface-to-air missiles had been fired at targets at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, whereas free-fallers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Special Operations Command and US Special Operations Command Pacific landed in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija after leaping off from the US Air Force’s Osprey floating 9,000 toes above.
Cyberdefense safety workout routines had been additionally carried out for the primary time at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“What you’re seeing here in ‘Balikatan’ and ‘Salaknib’ is an expression of us trying to commit to enabling and assisting the Philippine military in being able to protect their national sovereignty and protect the territorial integrity of the Philippines,” stated US Army Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn.
“We are making sure that the Philippines and the entire country, not just the Armed Forces of the Philippines, would be ready in case a threat would come to our shores,” AFP Commander Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner added.
External protection will probably be on the heart of the thirty eighth Annual Balikatan Exercise in view of China’s aggression within the West Philippine Sea. Among the highlights of the joint drills would be the live-fire workout routines on April 26 in Zambales, which is close to Scarborough Shoal.
“It’s not aimed against a particular country…This is part of the MDT [Mutual Defense Treaty]. We are invoking that treaty for combined operations involving the US and the AFP,” stated AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and the US earlier affirmed their alliance throughout a current assembly between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Senior Undersecretary and Defense Officer-in-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. on the Pentagon.
“We remain deeply committed to our alliance obligations….And as we’ve made abundantly clear, the mutual defense treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, our public vessels, or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea,” stated Austin.
China has expressed “serious concern” and “strong dissatisfaction” with the joint assertion, saying it “distorts and smears China’s legitimate maritime law enforcement actions” within the disputed waters.
But for Professor Aries Arugay, chairperson of UP Political Science Department, there’s nothing to query because the Philippines’ 2016 arbitral win already establishes possession of the extremely contested territory.
“Sa tingin ko tama na siguro yung polisiya na iniisip parati ng gobyerno pano mag re-react ang China at pano siya hindi gagalitin o hindi siya maasar because it tried it and it backfired. China continues to be aggressive,” stated Arugay.
(I believe it’s excessive time the federal government stops its insurance policies which can be at all times involved with China’s response. Because it tried and it backfired. China continues to be aggressive.) — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
