Bersamin on possible Taiwan ‘invasion’: No alarm, Phl preparing for eventuality

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Thursday emphasized that the Philippines had been considering all potential scenarios in response to the ongoing tensions in Taiwan.

“Hindi bago ito kasi matagal na naming pinag uusapan yan (This is not new because we've been discussing that for a long time). Because of the great possibility of mainland China crossing the channel between it and Taiwan to recover Taiwan. This is just part of the preparedness that we as a country should be put into,” Bersamin said in an ambush interview.

Also, Bersamin urged the public not to panic following Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.'s statement about a potential Taiwan “invasion,” as China conducted military exercises in “multiple directions” around Taipei.

“[The context of] Gen. Brawner making that statement, there should not be any alarm on the part of the Filipinos to look or see that interview. Because the Philippines has been preparing for the eventuality of an invasion. We’re not saying when that invasion will take place, whether it will take place at all,” he said.

Bersamin explained that the context of Brawner’s remarks was “simply announcing that the country is prepared.”

“It’s a whole-of-nation, whole-of-government approach. There won’t be a single agency in charge; there will only be one response, which is to prioritize the repatriation of our fellow citizens—over 200,000 of them,” he stressed.

Bersamin touted the Philippines’ capabilities to respond to eventualities.

“We have every asset that is needed for that, maybe large evacuations, we need the confluence of air and water assets. Yung barko saka yung mga eroplano kung pwede (The ships and planes, if possible),” he said.

Meanwhile, Bersamin pointed out that Brawner did not mean to cause alarm with his remarks, attributing the reaction to the way the news was reported.

“No I don’t think Gen. Brawner meant to alarm anyone. Nagkaroon lang siguro ng twist sa reportage but we were surprised nung makita yung spin ng mga headlines (No, I don’t think Gen. Brawner meant to alarm anyone. There may have been a twist in the reporting, but we were surprised when we saw how the headlines were spun),” he said.

“Hindi dapat magtaka ang Pilipino because matagal na naming ginagawa ang mga yan. Preparedness for evacuation (Filipinos shouldn’t be surprised because we’ve been doing these things for a long time—preparing for evacuation) We are not going to war. Unless they involve us, of course,” he added.

On the other hand, the AFP also issued a statement clarifying that Brawner’s instructions to the Northern Luzon Command were focused “on preparedness, are rooted in the AFP’s fundamental mandate: to protect Filipinos and secure our territory.”

“The guidance was not a response to an imminent threat nor a declaration of heightened alert, but rather a prudent measure to ensure readiness for potential scenarios,” it said in the statement on Thursday.

“Specifically, General Brawner's pronouncement emphasized Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) preparedness, given the significant presence of approximately 250,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan, ensuring their safety should the situation escalate,” it added.

The AFP maintained the need to conduct continuous strategic planning to address diverse security scenarios.

“It is essential to reiterate that the AFP’s actions are in direct alignment with our constitutional mandate. The AFP assures the Filipino people that we are dedicated to fulfilling our duty with the utmost professionalism and vigilance,” it further said.