MANILA, Philippines – Plano ng pamahalaan na magpadala ng naval reservists sa West Philippine Sea upang tapatan ang Chinese maritime militia sa lugar.
“Yes it’s part of our plans,” sinabi ni Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Romeo Brawner Jr. nitong Huwebes, Agosto 10 sa isang press conference sa Western Command (Wescom) headquarters sa Puerto Princesa City.
“When we say reserve force, it’s not just land-based forces, so we are also trying to develop our reservists who will be able to operate in the sea,” dagdag niya.
Ani Brawner, ang plano ay nasa initial stage na, ngunit kakailanganin pa ng karagdagang pondo para makabili ng barko.
“We have established these units but we are going to wait for the platforms or the vessels that they will use,” ayon sa opisyal.
“It depends on the funds, but definitely, we are pursuing that direction,” dagdag ni Brawner.
Ang pahayag na ito ni Brawner ay kasunod ng sinabi ni AFP Wescom chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos na mayroong “more than 400” foreign fishing vessels ang nasa exclusive economic zone sa WPS, kung saan 85% sa mga ito ang Chinese vessels. RNT/JGC
