The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday rejected China’s call to the Philippines to pull out the United States-made mid-range capability (MRC) missile system also known as Typhon missile launcher in the country. 

In confirming that the missile launcher was relocated to another site, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla noted the transfer of the asset was part of the military’s training aspects on mobilization and logistics. 

“So whenever it is necessary that it will be prepositioned in preparation for upcoming activities, we will do that,” Padilla told reporters in an ambush interview.

Padilla explained that the main purpose of the MRC deployment in the country was purely for training purposes. 

“When we heighten and strengthen our defenses, we have to look into the possibility of being able to deploy salient assets to salient locations as well,” she said.

She further that the recent movement of the asset was part of the military’s logistical exercises. 

“The role of Tyhon for us is more on the training aspect, in line with our cooperation with our allied nation. So the disposition of equipment is still theirs, but in our case, it's not necessarily during the time of training that we will move it, so in preparation for all of this, mobilization of logistics train is part of our training aspect,” she said. 

China can’t dictate Phl

In a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning slammed the relocation of the missile launcher to another location, reiterating that the Philippines’ move is “inciting geopolitical confrontation and an arms race.”

“We once again call on the Philippines to heed the call from regional countries and their peoples, correct the wrongdoing as soon as possible, quickly pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path,” Mao said, urging the Philippines to remove the Typhon launcher in the country. 

In response, Padilla lamented China can’t control how the Philippines will carry out its defense efforts.

“There is no single entity who can dictate how we would do our deployments in terms of our defenses,” she said. 

“It's an inherent right of every state to heighten and strengthen their defenses accordingly. How we would go about it is for us to freely do. So no one can dictate to us how we would do it. How we would go about it is for us to freely do. So no one can dictate to us how we would do it,” she added. 

Padilla refused to give details on the exact location of the missile launcher. 

“We have operational details behind that and whenever we conduct any of our exercises, we do not give announcements prior. So that we won't compromise the security of our deployments and all that. Usually, when it is ongoing or after the event, we disclose all the salient details that we need to,” she explained. 

Boosting Phl defense

The military spokesperson also lambasted China’s claim that the deployment of the MRC in the country was “highly dangerous” and “extremely irresponsible.”

“When we heighten and strengthen our defenses, we have to look into the possibility of being able to deploy salient assets to salient locations as well,” Padilla said.

She added “no other nation can question” the Philippines’ efforts to modernize and strengthen its alliances “because it is our inherent right to build our capabilities accordingly."

“And how we do that is we modernize, we strengthen our alliances, and no other nation can question that,” she further stressed. 

Padilla also hit China for accusing the Philippines of “creating tensions and antagonism in the region” by allowing the Typhon launcher deployment, pointing out China’s illegal behavior in the Philippine waters.

While China accuses the Philippines of causing trouble, Padilla implied that China’s actions — likely referring to its aggressive presence in disputed waters — are more disruptive and unlawful.

“Well, the presence of their ships who are also missile-capable is also highly dangerous and they also have those artificial islands in the South China Sea, altogether that are also militarized and missile-capable,” she said. 

Padilla likewise dismissed claims that the Philippines was preparing for an offensive or impending attack. 

“Inherently, our country is not offensive. Constitutionally, we are on the defense side of things. So what we have heightened here is our defenses,” she noted. 

The MRC is a Lockheed Martin design that takes the naval Mk.41 vertical launch system and modifies it for land-based operations. 

This ground-based missile system is capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles.