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MANILA, Philippines (Updated) – The annual Balikatan exercises between Philippine and US troops formally opened Friday, April 5 amid an ongoing territorial dispute against China.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario said the 12-day exercises come at a “crucial time” in the wake of “excessive and exaggerated maritime and territorial claims” that have “undermined the rule of law.” He later told reporters he was referring to China.
“For my country, we need to secure our borders and protect our territorial integrity more vigorously than we have before,” Del Rosario said.
The Philippines has taken China to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea over its territorial row on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
China claims the uninhabited Scarborough Shoal is part of their sovereign maritime territory. Other countries such as Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have also staked their own claims.
Del Rosario said the Balikatan exercises will help equip Philippine troops with “practical and strategic elements in building the capacity of the Philippines to secure and defend itself.”
Aside from the Balikatan, Del Rosario said the Philippines is also looking at having more US forces rotate throughout the year.
“This will be crucial in our efforts in the short term to establish our minimum credible defence posture, and in the long term to build a more robust national defence structure,” he said, without giving details.
The “increased rotational presence of troops” in the typhoon-prone Philippines would begin with humanitarian and disaster relief operations, said US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas, Jr.
“What we are looking into is an agreement designed by the Philippine government and clearly under the constitution of the Philippines. Everything will have to be a rotational presence. And we want to begin by concentrating on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief because we are in the ring of fire and we need to be able to quickly respond to typhoons such as what we were able to do with typhoon Pablo last year,” Thomas said.
Held since 2008, the Balikatan exercises is part of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between two countries, which requires the United States to come to the aid of the Philippines if it is attacked.
The Philippines has sought closer diplomatic and military ties with the United States amid the rising tensions.
This week, Rosario met with the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Washington.
In the past months, members of the US government, including Defense Deputy Secretary Ashton, and a congressional delegation, also visited Manila.
Over 8,000 Philippine and American troops will participate in this year’s exercises, which will include combat drills and simulated rescue work for natural disasters. They will be using 30 aircraft and 3 naval vessels from both countries.
– with reports from AFP and Angela Casauay/Rappler.com
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