U.S. asserts safe WPS passage for all

It has nothing to do with that particular country, or so they claimed rather cautiously and diplomatically.

Navies of the Philippines and the United States opened their bilateral naval exercises yesterday, along with six other countries, at Naval Station Jose Andrada on Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The drills involve at-shore events at the Philippine Navy's headquarters before going out to sea for exercises intended to improve the allied naval forces' interoperability.

Dubbed Exercise Sama-Sama, or Together, the exercise, according to Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci, has nothing to do with a particular country that has figured in increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

But Adaci was obviously referring to China whose coast guard had used water cannons on Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal in the WPS.

Adaci opened the exercise with US Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas.

"The exercise is designed to be conducted here in Manila and the southern Luzon area," Adaci said. Thomas, for his part, stressed the need to recognize the rules-based international order.

Strong word

"I think it is important that all nations have a right to sail and operate in the West Philippine Sea — free from worrying about being attacked," Thomas said. "And attack is probably a strong word."

"I would say, free from being coerced, free from being intimidated. You know we want the commons to be common and open and free. And so long as our nations operate in accordance with the rule of law, in accordance with the rules and regulations, with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said.

Like Adaci, Thomas did not mention China, but it is common knowledge that the United States military has been conducting "freedom of navigation" patrols to keep the South China Sea open to international commerce.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week ordered the PCG to cut the 300-meter floating barrier installed by Chinese militia vessels at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.

PN assets in action

A 2016 arbitral ruling deemed China's territorial claim on nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas that overlap the WPS, invalid.

The ruling stemmed from a 2013 case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, or PCA, after Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

As the PCA junked China's nine-dash line South China Sea claim, it affirmed the Philippines' entitlement to its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Around 700 sailors and marines from different PN units are participating in the exercise, which will see in action, among other assets, the BRP Antonio Luna, and an AW109 naval helicopter.

For the second straight year, the exercise will include the navies of Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia. They will be participating mainly in humanitarian assistance and disaster response drills.

Observers

Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy are also joining as observers the naval exercise that dates back to 1994 when it was known as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training.

In 2017, its name was changed to Exercise Sama-Sama. Subsequently, the exercise was conducted annually across various regions: In 2017 at Naval Forces Central; in 2018 at Naval Forces Northern Luzon; in 2019 at Naval Forces West; and in 2021 at the Northern Luzon Command.

Last year, it was held alongside Exercise Lumbas — the bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippines and Australia — with the limited participation of France, Japan and the United Kingdom.

According to the PN, the primary objective of the exercise is to enhance the capabilities of both nations in responding to regional crises.

Additionally, it aims to strengthen its capacities to address non-traditional challenges, including territorial defense, natural and man-made disasters, counterterrorism, maritime security and transnational crimes.