‘Patrol talks with Japan in infancy stage’
THE Philippine and United States coast guards are discussing the possibility of holding joint maritime patrols in the disputed West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) adviser of the commandant for maritime security, said yesterday.
Tarriela’s disclosure followed an incident near the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in Palawan on February 6 when a ship of the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) directed a military-grade laser light at a PCG vessel in the West Philippine Sea.
The CCG ship directed a laser light at the PCG’s BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness of the ship’s crew members. The Chinese ship also made dangerous maneuvers, closely approaching BRP Malapascua which was escorting a civilian vessel contracted by the Philippine Navy to deliver supplies and fresh troops to Ayungin Shoal.
In June last year, a CCG ship also directed a laser light at the PCG’s tugboat, BRP Habagat, during a similar rotation and resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea.
Tarriela said the talks of joint patrols between the Philippine and US coast guards are separate from those of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with his Filipino counterpart, Carlito Galvez, during the US official’s visit to the country about two weeks ago.
After the meeting between Austin and Galvez, the US defense department said the two “agreed to restart joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea to help address these challenges,” referring to security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
“I would say that those joint patrols are limited to the defense department,” said Tarriela, referring to the joint patrols discussed by Austin and Galvez.
Tarriela also noted the PCG is no longer a part of the defense and military establishments.
In March 1998, then President Ramos issued Executive Order 475, transferring the PCG to the Office of the President, from the Department of National Defense. A month later, Ramos issued Executive Order 477, transferring the PCG to the Department of Transportation and Communications (now Department of Transportation).
“In the case of the Philippine Coast Guard, since we are not part of the military (defense) establishment and we are part of the Department of Transportation, we are not yet included in the joint patrol statement of the defense secretary,” said Tarriela, referring to the US department statement.
“However, for the Philippine Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), there are also ongoing talks now about the possibility of joining the US Coast Guard in a joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea,” said Tarriela.
Tarriela did not say when talks about the possible joint patrols between PCG and USCG began.
He also said the joint patrols has to be “cleared” by the Department of Foreign Affairs, aside from being approved by the US and Philippine sides.
Tarriela said the US and Philippine coast guards have many “common mandates.”
“We support maritime safety. We protect the marine environment and we also carry out maritime law enforcement,” he said.
“If these three core functions of these coast guards will be the main objective of the joint patrols, then probably we can even gain more regional cooperation (from) other countries in the region since it will benefit everybody, particularly those ships that are transiting in the area of the South China Sea,” said Tarriela.
PATROLS WITH JAPAN
Tarriela also disclosed there are also initial talks of joint patrols with Japan but said these are in the “infancy stage.”
“For example, Japan, they are also willing to do joint patrols. But as regard to the specific area, we haven’t discussed yet whether it will be conducted in the West Philippine Sea or in some other area of the Philippines that is not contested with other ASEAN members,” he said.
Tarriela said the discussions between the PCG and USCG are “not in the infancy stage.”
“There is already a clear path of possibility since the defense department of the United States has also supported the joint patrols with the Philippine Navy and the US Navy. So there is a certainty of this particular joint patrol to happen between the coast guard of both countries,” said Tarriela.
Tarriela said details of the planned PCG and USCG joint patrols are yet to be finalized “but there is also a possibility that it will be conducted in the South China Sea in support of the freedom of navigation of the United States government.”
RESPONSE BASES
Tarriela also said the PCG has three offshore patrol vessels that can last up to 10 straight days at sea. He implied these ships are not enough to maintain presence in the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
“We have some spaces in the West Philippine Sea that we fail to patrol constantly. So we are proposing a coast guard modernization, for the acquisition of more offshore patrol vessels,” he said.
He said the PCG is also pushing for the establishment of “response bases” in Palawan, Subic in Zambales, Mindoro and the northern part of the country.
“We believe that the Philippine Coast Guard needs to intensify our capability so that we can be able to patrol our exclusive economic zone and to make sure that no foreign intruders would use our resources in our exclusive economic zone,” said Tariela.
Asked how many offshore patrols vessels the PCG needs, Tariela said PCG has yet to present the exact number of offshore patrol vessels it needs.
“But I think more than 20 offshore patrol vessels is what the Philippine Coast Guard needs,” said Tarriela.
