MANILA, Philippines — Nagpahayag ng pangamba si National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr. sa paglulunsad ng China ng unarmed intercontinental-range ballistic missile sa South Pacific, kasabay ng babala na hindi ito dapat ituring na ordinaryong military activity dahil sa epekto nito sa regional security.
“China may call the launch ‘routine,’ but there is nothing routine about its consequences for regional security,” pahayag ni Oban nitong Miyerkoles.
“A missile test of such range and capability, against the backdrop of continuing concerns over the pace and transparency of China’s military buildup, inevitably raises questions about strategic intent and regional stability,” dagdag niya.
Nauna nang sinabi ng People’s Liberation Army Navy ng China na isa sa kanilang mga submarine ang naglunsad ng “strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead towards the relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which landed precisely within designated waters.”
Ayon sa China, bahagi ito ng kanilang annual military training.
Ngunit sinabi ni Oban na ang Pacific ay tahanan ng mga sovereign nations at mamamayan na ang seguridad at kapayapaan ay hindi dapat isantabi kapalit ng hindi kinakailangang pagpapakita ng military power.
“As the Philippines marks the 10th Anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, we are reminded of a principle that extends beyond any single dispute: peace and stability endure when States act with due regard to the rights of other States,” ani Oban.
Sinabi rin ni Oban na nakikiisa ang Pilipinas sa Pacific partners nito sa panawagan para sa mas malawak na transparency at makabuluhang hakbang upang mabawasan ang panganib ng miscalculation at regional instability.
“A secure region cannot be built on the ability to project power, but on the responsibility to exercise it with due regard to others,” dagdag pa niya. Santi Celario
