TILA nabawasan na ang pagiging agresibo ng Chinese ships kapag ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vessels ay sinamahan ng mga kapanalig at friendly countries sa isinagawang joint patrols sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Ito ang naobserbahan ng Philippine Navy (PN) habang inihayag nito na hindi nangahas ang Chinese vessels na harangan ang anumang maritime cooperative activity (MCA) sa pagitan ng Philippine Navy (PN) at French Navy sa WPS noong nakaraang linggo.
“During the conduct of the [maritime] cooperative activity [between] the French Navy and the Armed Forces, there were no [People’s Liberation Army] Navy, [China] Coast Guard, or maritime militia noted within close proximity. They were at a distance of more than 120 nautical miles away,” ayon kay PN spokesperson for WPS Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad.
Tanggap naman ni Trinidad na parami ng parami ang mga bansa na tumatambal sa Pilipinas para magpatrol sa WPS, na aniya’y naging mahirap sa Tsina na gumawa ng agresibong aksyon laban sa Philippine vessels.
“Actions of the government to bring in other nations to observe and protect the rules-based international order are very much welcome, and we have noted a marked decrease in the illegal and coercive actions of the PLA Navy each time there is a multilateral or bilateral maritime cooperative activity,” aniya pa rin.
Ang PN at French Navy ay nagsagawa ng MCA sa WPS noong nakaraang Pebrero 21.
“The PN deployed warships BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) and BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PS15), a Beechcraft King Air C90 utility aircraft, two FA50 fighter jets, and Philippine Air Force search and rescue (SAR) units.
Meanwhile, the French Navy utilized its aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle (R91), multi-mission destroyer Provence (D652), force supply vessel Jacques Chevallier (A725), air defense destroyer Forbin (D620), and Aquitaine-class frigate Alsace (D656),” ayon sa ulat.
Maliban sa France, nakakuha rin ang PN ng kinakailangan nitong tulong at lakas matapos na mangako ang Japan na tutulungan ang PIlipinas na palakasin ang maritime capabilities nito. Kris Jose
