MANILA, Philippines – Siniguro ng isang opisyal ng Philippine Navy (PN) na handa ito sa posibilidad ng incursions o pananakop ng Chinese maritime forces sa dagat na sakop ng Pilipinas, partikular sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), ngayong taon.
Sa panayam, sinabi ni PN spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, na ang Navy kasama ang buong pwersa ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), ay naghahanda sa pagsasagawa ng “comprehensive archipelagic defense operations.”
“Yung direksyon naman ng ating Armed Forces is very clear. We are here to implement ‘comprehensive archipelagic defense operations.’ This would mean that we should be able to secure and to protect all the way up to our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and beyond the EEZ,” dagdag pa ni Trinidad.
Nag-isyu ito ng komento nang tanungin kung ano ang gagawin ng PNP sa oras na magpatuloy ang panggigipit ng China sa West Philippine Sea ngayong taon.
Ang Comprehensive archipelagic defense operations ay mula sa Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, na isang strategic shift na nananawagan sa AFP na depensahan ang lahat ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas kabilang ang 200-nautical-mile EEZ ng bansa.
“As such, the PN, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Army Joint Headquarters, we are doing everything to be able to project and sustain our forces. That would include our capital ships, that would include coordination with other agencies of government like the Philippine Coast Guard and BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources).”
“We do not divulge details of our forthcoming operations. Rest assured that the different operational plans are with the appropriate unified commanders, for this case Western Command and Northern Luzon Command, for them to execute,” dagdag pa nito. RNT/JGC
