THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), along with its counterparts in the United States and Japan, conducted on Friday a drill dubbed Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), said the exercise showed a trilateral commitment to enhance regional and international cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“This builds upon previous MCAs and our continuing operations together, which strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures," the INDOPACOM said in a statement.
"MCAs are conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States," it added.
Among the participating units were the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 47, the Philippine Navy’s BRP Andres Bonifacio and C-90, and Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force’s Murasame-class destroyer JS Samidare (DD 106).
“The U.S., along with our allies and partners, uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law,” the INDOPACOM said.
The AFP said it would likewise issue a statement about the activity.
Previous MCAs have been conducted in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Australia also participated in the MCA with the Philippines, Japan, and the US last April, while joined the exercise held last September.
The Philippine government filed last Thursday another diplomatic protest denouncing China’s latest bullying tactics in the Bajo de Masinloc, also called Scarborough Shoal, and the Escoda Shoal in the WPS.
Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is clearly within the Philippines 200-nautical mile exelusive economic zone (EEZ).
On the other hand, Escoda Shoal which is also known as Sabina Shoal, was plotted 75 nautical miles off Palawan and likewise within the Philippine EEZ.
The Philippines has so far filed 60 diplomatic protests against China this year alone, and 193 since start of the Marcos administration.
Tensions continue to broil over the WPS as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Se which covers a strategic sealane also being claimed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, tossing out as baseless China’s claims over the entire South China Sea.
China steadfastly refused to recognize the decision.