MANILA, Philippines- Pinalakas ng Pilipinas ang defense expenditures nito upang magawa ng militar na mapagyaman ang malakas na kooperasyon kasama ang mga kaalyado.
Sinabi ito ni National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya mataps na mawagan si United States President Donald Trump sa kaalyado nito kabilang na ang mga miyembro ng North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), na palakasin ang kanilang defense spending ng 2% ng kanilang gross domestic product.
“I think we have (shown) to the United States that we have been ramping up also our defense spending, we now have a very clear Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) which really requires enormous sums of money in investment into Philippine defense, military spending or security spending,” aniya pa rin sa Utak Forum na idinaos sa New Dapo Restaurant sa Quezon City, araw ng Miyerkules.
Sa ilalim ng CADC, tinitingnan ng Philippine military na ipagtanggol ang ‘domains’ ng bansa kabilang na ang 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone nito.
Sinabi ni Malaya na naglaan ang Maynila ng mas maraming pondo para ipagpatuloy ang Rehorizon 3 ng Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program, nakatuon sa pagkuha ng ‘equipment at weapon systems’ para sa “external defense and territorial security of the country.”
“So if we follow the logic where he (Trump) is asking NATO members to devote more of their resources, I think we’re also doing the same,” ang sinabi ni Malaya.
Sa kabilang dako, sinabi naman ni Malaya na ang presensya ng US Medium Range Capability Typhon missile system ay hindi para sa ‘offensive purposes.’
“I think the Philippine government has made very clear its position that the presence of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines was part of course of the ‘Balikatan’ exercises so the purpose of that was to train Filipino troops in utilizing this, it is not for offensive purposes, it is primarily for defensive purposes and to ensure that the Philippines has capacity to operate such weapon system and the Philippines has expressed its interest to buy this types of systems in the same manner that we bought the BrahMos missile system,” litaniya ni Malaya.
Dumating ang missile system sa Pilipinas noong nakaraang taon at ginamit para sa pagsasanay sa panahon ng Filipino at American exercises noong nakaraang taon.
Tinuran ni Malaya na maaari itong gamitin para sa CADC ng Pilipinas.
“Very clearly it is for defense purposes so as mentioned by the AFP, this is a sovereign act, this is a decision of the Philippine government and it is not meant for any other state, it is for the territorial integrity of the Philippines,” giit ng opisyal.
Nauna rito, binatikos ng Tsina ang deployment ng missile system sa Pilipinas, sabay sabing banta ito sa ‘regional peace at security.’ Kris Jose
