IPINAABOT ng Pilipinas ang imbitasyon nito sa Japan na magpartisipa sa Balikatan military exercises sa susunod na taon sa pagitan ng mga military ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos.
Sinabi ni Col Michael Logico, tagapagsalita para sa 2024 Balikatan Exercises, na nagpahayag ng interest ang Japan na sumali sa annual joint exercises mula pa noong Oktubre 2023.
“So we sent an invitation. However, October was really too late for them to commit to any participation aside from sending observers,” ayon kay Logico.
Subalit dahil sa kakapusan ng oras para sa paghahanda, sa halip ay magpapadala na lamang ang Japanese Self Defense Force ng mga observers o mga tagapagmasid para sa Balikatan Exercises ngayong taon na magsisimula sa Abril 22, araw ng Lunes.
“So tama po, mayroong mga observers coming from JSDF, iyong Japanese Self Defense Force. But, I will say as early as now, we are already extending the invitation for Japan to take part in the next Balikatan exercise,” ayon kay Logico.
“So as early as the concept development po, kasama na po iyong representatives from Japan so that we can firm up a wider participation from the armed forces po ng Japan,” aniya pa rin.
Nauna rito, Ipinahayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na wala siyang pagtutol na isama ang Japan sa taunang Balikatan exercises o military exercises.
Idinagdag pa ng Pangulo na ang partisipasyon ng Japan ay makatutulong na mapanatili ang kapayapaan at katatagan, freedom of navigation at pagsunod sa “totally and completely, and constantly to the rule of international law” partikular na sa United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Samantala, sinabi ni Logico na inaasahan na ang 2024 Balikatan exercises ay magiging “largest ever” na mayroong 11,000 sundalong amerikano at mahigit sa 5,000 sundalong Filipino ang inaasahan na magpapartisipa.
“Mayroon din tayong mga participants from the Australian Defense Force (ADF), more or less, mga 150. And we are expecting the participation po ng Marine Nationale, iyong French Navy. They will be sending a frigate to take part in the multilateral maritime exercises off the coast of Palawan, western portion,” ayon kay Logico.
Kasama rin sa Balikatan Exercises ang iba pang ahensiya ng Pilipinas gaya ng Philippine National Police at e Philippine Coast Guard.
“In the earlier Balikatan which I have been involved din, nag-umpisa po tayo sa mga tactical level exercises, small units focusing on tactics. Ngayon po, when we are already progressing, we are elevating Balikatan to evolve into more at the operational level and also involve other agencies,” ayon kay Logico.
“So, we can categorize this as an inter-agency effort ‘no. So we are—tama po iyon, we are involving also the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard because these are also stakeholders when it comes to security, these are all security practitioners. So, aside from coast guard ay mayroon pa diyan – iyong Office of Civil Defense, from the Department of National Defense, some representatives of Department of Foreign Affairs and the DICT,” litaniya nito. Kris Jose
