Armed Forces chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay on Tuesday described the situation in the South China Sea as "volatile and uncertain," adding the military would install one of the radar systems from Japan at the closed Matinloc gas platform off Malampaya, Palawan near the West Philippine Sea.
"You see, we (decided that) the Matinloc platform (will) be assigned one of the radars coming from Japan to beef up our monitoring capability in the West Philippine Sea," Gapay said in an online press conference with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).
Gapay said these radar systems from Japan would be used to beef up the country's maritime domain awareness capability.
"Aside from radars, we are also looking at Japan as a source of (in) developing our cyber (capabilities). This is one aspect we are focusing on now and I think we can partner with Japan in this area, cyber-defense and security which is also one of their thrusts of the Japan Self Defense Force," he said.
Gapay explained the situation in the region had been uncertain because of what he described as the continuous aggressive actions of China and the United States' move to protect its interest in the area.
"Situation in the South China Sea remains volatile and uncertain because of certain actions of certain actors in the area, particularly China and the United States," Gapay said.
"We have seen aggressive actions on the part of China, from reclaiming the area and deploying some warships there and their Coast Guard is very visible in the area. Their maritime militias are there. They're practically swarming most of the areas in the West Philippine Sea," he added.
"Here comes the United States, of course protecting their interests… in maintaining that sea lanes of trade and communications open and free and safe and secure, advocating freedom of navigation in the area," Gapay said.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Senator Risa Hontiveros is skeptical of claims the situation in the West Philippine Sea is ‘stable and manageable’ as reported by the Department of Defense in its budget hearing.
The senator stressed that ‘external’ threats to the Philippines should not be downplayed amid China’s repeated incursions in Philippine territory.
“I highly doubt that the situation in the West Philippine Sea is ‘manageable.’ Is it manageable that there are no more remaining fishes and natural resources? Is it manageable that Filipino fishermen no
longer have their jobs? Is is manageable that we are slowly losing our sovereignty ?” asked the senator as she urged the DND to reevaluate its national security threat assessment.
Hontiveros stressed the primary mandate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines — which includes the Army, the Air Force, and the Philippine Navy — is to protect the Philippines from ‘external’ threats.
‘Internal’ threats, the senator said, should be largely addressed and managed by the Philippine National Police under the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Beijing's exercises in the South China Sea have contributed to a “tense situation” in the region, according to Gapay.
But he maintained all issues in the resource-rich region should be dealt with peacefully and in a diplomatic manner.
"It has even fired recently a missile, (to) which we have lodged a diplomatic protest on; and here comes United States displaying a show of force in the area so it's very tense and right now the effort
really is multilateral action and talking about how to peacefully resolve these issues," Gapay said.
China has been claiming a huge portion of the South China Sea as part of its territory under the disputed nine-dash line.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands delivered a major victory to the Philippines on its case against China and invalidated the latter's massive and historical claims over the South China Sea.
China has since refused to recognize the said ruling.
Facing senators in a budget hearing on Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the situation in the West Philippine Sea is "stable and manageable."
"We conduct naval and air patrols everyday in the West Philippine Sea.
It involves seven Navy assets," Gapay said.
Gapay added the AFP was also interested in beefing up its unmanned aerial systems capability with Japanese assistance.
Earlier, the Department of National Defense announced it had signed the contract agreement and notice to proceed with a Japanese firm regarding the Philippine Air Force's Horizon 2 Air Surveillance Radar System (ASRS) acquisition project.
The contract was signed by Lorenzana last August 14,
The project, which has an approved budget contract of P5.5 billion was awarded to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) with a total contract price of $103.5 million (around P5 billion).
The ASRS is under a negotiated government-to-government procurement with Japan.
"This cooperation signifies Japan’s first time to export Japanese-made defense equipment under a restructured government policy, permitting sales of defense equipment, as long as it is deemed for the promotion of international peace," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong earlier said.
This is also the first defense equipment and technology cooperation project between the two countries in realization of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the
Government of Japan concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology signed in 2016.
The recommended ASRS sites will cover large areas of the Philippine Rise, southern areas of the country, and the southern portion of the West Philippine Sea.
Operations from these strategically vital locations will enable the PAF to provide optimal airspace monitoring, aircraft control, perform its air defense mission and enhance the security in areas of interest identified by the DND.
Specifically, the ASRS will help to detect, identify, and correlate any threats and intrusions within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and deliver radar images to decision-makers and relevant operating units.
The ASRS package includes three fixed long-range air surveillance radars, each with building facilities and one mobile air surveillance radar, and are expected to be delivered to the Philippines starting 2022.
Hontiveros said: “Our lifelong fight for economic and national security will be all for naught if we don’t take China’s adventurism in our territories seriously,” she added.
Hontiveros then questioned why the Department of Budget and Management only appropriated P5 billion out of the P13.2 billion that the AFP modernization program is entitled to receive from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority’s proceeds.
“Where’s the remaining P8.2 billion? Why is DBM not appropriating the full P13.2 billion to AFP already?” she further questioned.
She reiterated her Proposed Senate Resolution 520 that seeks a Senate-led 'comprehensive audit' of the AFP’s use of its shares in BCDA's earnings over the years.
“We cannot afford a shortage of funding for the AFP modernization program, especially during a time when a regional and rising global superpower is unabashedly taking resources that are 100 percent ours.” With PNA
