AFP affirms continued WPS presence

Amid the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) asserted that while the Philippine Navy does not directly participate in civilian aid missions such as the Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda, it maintains an active and sustained presence in disputed waters like around the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad addressed concerns over military involvement in civilian-led missions such as the Kadiwa initiated by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

“Let’s first be very clear on this. The mission of the PCG and BFAR is to support our fisherfolk. That is a law enforcement operation of these agencies to support our fisherfolk,” Trinidad said.

“The AFP, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Air Force regularly conduct maritime patrols and air surveillance flights at Bajo de Masinloc, the Northern Islands, Benham Rise,” he said. “There is no conflict in both statements. We have our respective mandates to perform.”

Trinidad’s clarification followed remarks by National Maritime Council spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez who said Philippine warships would be excluded from the PCG and BFAR convoys at Bajo de Masinloc.

“Yes, simply because this is an activity that is designed to provide Kadiwa support for our fisherfolk,” said Trinidad.

AFP won’t leave WPS

He, however, assured the AFP’s continued presence in the country’s maritime territories.

“This Kadiwa initiative is civilian, thus warships are not deployed with them. But that doesn’t mean we’re not present in the area,” Trinidad said.

“The regular patrols of the Philippine Navy, the Air Force under Northern Luzon Command, and Western Command are there. The details of which, the when, the where, we leave that up to the operational commanders. But I would like to assure the Filipino people your AFP is there,” he said.

Asked about support in crisis scenarios, particularly if a Philippine civilian vessel is harassed or endangered, Trinidad said the AFP operates under detailed contingency plans coordinated by unified commanders of the Northern Luzon and Western Commands.

“All the actions of the different government agencies are synchronized by the unified commanders, whether Northern Luzon Command, Western Command, or the other unified commands,” he said.

“We have contingencies in place for any eventuality, and the details of the reactions of the unified command, we leave that up to the unified commander level,” he added.

On speculations the Navy would “stand down” in future aggressive incidents, Trinidad was firm.

“That assumption is false. I stated it very clearly; it is a universal mandate. The spirit of any sea-going individual, any professional organization is to extend assistance to any person requiring help in the ocean, in the maritime domain, regardless of country, regardless of flag. And we have proven that in the past, not only for Filipino citizens,” he said.

Trinidad emphasized that while AFP may not be visible in all operations, it remains on standby.

“It has been proven in the past. We respond regardless of the weather. In fact, many times in the past, it was only the AFP that responded to provide assistance to our kababayan,” he said.