Philippines sends more troops to guard disputed islands

[LETHALFORCE]

Philippines sends more troops to guard disputed islands

The Philippines has deployed 800 more Marines and opened a new headquarters to guard its interests in the disputed Spratlys islands, which China also claims, a senior military official said Sunday.

Straddling vital shipping lanes and believed sitting atop vast reserves of mineral deposits, including oil, the Spratlys chain in the South China Sea has long been considered a flashpoint for conflict in the region.

Apart from the Philippines and China, the Spratlys are claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, appearing to want to assuage Beijing in particular, said the deployment was only meant as a defensive measure and should not be seen as an aggressive move.

"These two battalions which arrived recently will be augmenting protection of our islands," Sabban, who heads the military garrison which has jurisdiction over the Spratlys, told AFP.

"We are just on a defensive posture and are ensuring the defence of our islands. It is better to defend than retake islands once other claimants occupy them."

He said a Marine brigade headquarters had also been created on the nearby Philippine province of Palawan, facing the South China Sea, "to provide command and control" over the forces.

The Marines will not be stationed on the Spratlys but will patrol nearby.

Sabban accused China of continually fortifying its structures on islands in the Spratlys that Beijing controls, though at present "no claimant countries have manifested any offensive action".

"We are not there to create a situation where it will lead to an accidental conflict and escalate into a regional problem," Sabban stressed.

China, which is in a dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, has been accused of ramping up tensions in the South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam over the past year raised alarm over Beijing's assertiveness.

China claims all of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, even waters close to its Asian neighbours.

Sabban's announcement came just days after incoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping met a special Philippine envoy and expressed hope bilateral ties would improve.

The meeting was set months after both sides were locked in a tense standoff in Scarborough shoal, another outcrop in the South China Sea north of the Spratlys.

 

[amoy]

Then Filipina made a statement it was 80 i/o 800 deployead



May I request you that you should not use words like 'Filipina' to describe the people of Philippines, since it is not used in official or legal documents. It is normally a colloquial manner of word used for women and not men!

I am sure you are aware that we have banned the use of ' -----y' or -----y Choo' to describe the Chinese and have cautioned the Chinese not to call Indians as 'Hindu' since those Indians who are not Hindu may take offence to be called Hindu.

Note how the words C hink and Chin ky are automatically removed!

So do maintain some decorum.

 

[sayareakd]

how come China has dispute with so many countries ?

 

[Ray]

how come China has dispute with so many countries ?

Because China wants to grow by leaps and bounds!

 

[Zero_Wing]

Then Filipina made a statement it was 80 i/o 800 deployead

Learn to read and spell

 

[Phenom]

Instead of sending soldiers, it would be more effective to send settlers, maybe Philippines can subsidize a few farmers to live on the island. Afterall if push comes to shove, it would be near impossible for these marines to hold the island against any Chinese attack.

 

[Ray]

No reaction from China?

Surprising!

 

[The Fox]

Then Filipina made a statement it was 80 i/o 800 deployead



May I request you that you should not use words like 'Filipina' to describe the people of Philippines, since it is not used in official or legal documents. It is normally a colloquial manner of word used for women and not men!

I am sure you are aware that we have banned the use of ' -----y' or -----y Choo' to describe the Chinese and have cautioned the Chinese not to call Indians as 'Hindu' since those Indians who are not Hindu may take offence to be called Hindu .

Note how the words C hink and Chin ky are automatically removed!

So do maintain some decorum.

i would like to STRONGLY OBJECT to the BOLDED sentence since the reason you have given is that a non-Hindu will get offended............. that is not the case why we advice other country men / women in this forum to not to address Indians as Hindus because it is Democratic Republic not a Islamic Republic or Vatican or any other religious based country it is democracy where all the citizens have equal rights irrespective of majority or minority status every one have the right and i would like u to get your facts Rite before you post.......................

 

[amoy]

http://beta.abs-cbnnews.com/video/business/09/25/12/china-asks-ph-return-500m-loan

Roxas revealed that while the territorial row over the Scarborough Shoal was ongoing, the Chinese government suddenly required the Philippine government to return $500 million in official development assistance (ODA) for the Northrail project.

Would u ever bite the hand that feeds you?

 

[Zero_Wing]

China asks PH to return $500M loan | ABS-CBN News

Would u ever bite the hand that feeds you?

feeds us sir its a loan not a hand out talk about arrogance and stupidity on the same market jesus you people are just arrogant blow heads full of hot air?

 

[Zero_Wing]

Instead of sending soldiers, it would be more effective to send settlers, maybe Philippines can subsidize a few farmers to live on the island. Afterall if push comes to shove, it would be near impossible for these marines to hold the island against any Chinese attack.

Your right and more are on the way but the rebuilding and creating facilities (like upgrading the airstrip and existing buildings adding new buildings like a civilian port and naval port and defensive structures and this going to be done in all of the islands under our control) are being the priorities first and tourism then numbers of troops and defense and support system to be ready and protect them from Chinese (both of them) and other potential attackers but as i said money is being places on important things namely the airstrip and the new civilian and naval port and the municipal building and its support structures

 

[winton]

Because China wants to grow by leaps and bounds!

I think the problem is that china HAS grown by leaps and bounds and that is causing animosity. No one likes having their wealth get taken away even if it is the impression.

 

[winton]

Your right and more are on the way but the rebuilding and creating facilities (like upgrading the airstrip and existing buildings adding new buildings like a civilian port and naval port and defensive structures and this going to be done in all of the islands under our control) are being the priorities first and tourism then numbers of troops and defense and support system to be ready and protect them from Chinese (both of them) and other potential attackers but as i said money is being places on important things namely the airstrip and the new civilian and naval port and the municipal building and its support structures

I think the british have proved time and time again that you need ships to protect islands. not more troops that can be surrounded. PH needs to do something drastic with its navy. It also needs to do something drastic with its relations with the US which is one of ignorance rather than actual friendship and concern. where the US just ignore and there is no real concern.

 

[Zero_Wing]

I think the british have proved time and time again that you need ships to protect islands. not more troops that can be surrounded. PH needs to do something drastic with its navy. It also needs to do something drastic with its relations with the US which is one of ignorance rather than actual friendship and concern. where the US just ignore and there is no real concern.

we are sir its embarrassing but as archipelago nation we failed to see a need for a good working navy like everything in this country stupid politics gets in the way of action but we are slowly as of this moment recreating the Philippine navy with the force mix program calling for buying of second hand ships and new ship both locally made and foreign made or joint venture also part of the AFP (Armed forces of the Philippines) 15th year old modernization program that only manage to only buy a few out of that long time.

Anyway this what happen so far both the ship we are planing to get and what we just got so far:

we just bought the following

Multi-purpose Attack Crafts (MPAC) similar to the swedes combat boat 90 out this moment 4x out of 42 units planed both made in Taiwan and locally build

Landing Craft Utility (LCU) was awarded on March 2010 to a joint venture of local shipbuilders Philippine Iron Construction and Marine Works (PICMW) Inc. and PROPMECH Corporation Now the BRP Tagbanua (AT-296) (planing to made so to replace World War two and Vietnam era ships

three Hamilton-class cutters (Gregorio del Pilar class) Patrol Frigate

BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) got last year 2011
BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) Under refurbishment and refitting in US going to be commission on official date yet but somewhere in Nov (2012) this year
A third ship of the line (no name yet) planning to commission said ship somewhere next year. Government is planing to get as many Hamilton class possible five or more and convert them in our Navy terms light patrol Frigates. plans are also on the works to rearmed them ASW (anti sub warfare) weapons and ship to ship missiles (according to the DND (Department of National Defense latest model of the Harpoon (no news as of now) and SAM surface to air missiles and new guns and new equipment and system so far its its the Alcaraz i think the Del Pilar will follow soon same plan along with the New ship when it gets here 2013

2 units of multi-purpose shipboard for the two goyo class (hamilton class)

And new also second class ship from Italy two Maestrale class frigate (according to the Navy no removal of systems and weapons unlike the Hamilton class) coming this 2013 after repairs and refurbishing in Italy also with include spares and support and training.

other plans are (which no purchase as been made as of now)

three submarines (no official buy yet still understudy)

4x Anti-Submarine Corvettes

Strategic Sealift Vessel (SSV) & Multi-Role Vessel (MRV - Amphibious Transport Dock) (still under negotiations and study)

Contenders are:

Singaporean Endurance class
Spanish Galicia class
Indonesian Makassar class LPD ( being conceded according to DND officials for the PN But still under study as of now)

Offshore Patrol Vessel (planing to get three) and Cyclone class patrol ships (possibly haft of the remaining fleet on U.S) from the U.S (no news so far)


And the Refurbishing of the following ships:

Jacinto class corvette 3x (Former Royal Navy's Hong Kong Squadron as Peacock class patrol vessels)

BRP Emilio Jacinto
BRP Apolinario Mabini
BRP Artemio Ricarte

Mariano Alvarez class 1x (Former U.S Cyclone class patrol ships)

Unlike our 80s and 90s ships which just go to Upgrades. For our World War 2 era and Vietnam War era ship with (mostly cargo and transport ships, patrol ships and corvettes) will undergo Customization (Like always in the Philippine Navy when it comes to old ships customized the ships add new power plants, systems and equipment, replacements old parts etc .) For continues use in the field the rest who can not be repair are use a spare and if can not be use as spare are sold to be scrap same goes for weapons some are still using the World war 2 main guns and machine guns etc the navy gets (next the Air force) the lowest budget in the military so that's why they are so good making this old ships run but as i said earlier soon we be advancing our repair and upgrade program we are slow updating our ship and personnel some we are send to country we are planing to buy ship or have defense agreements with like U.S, Europe and Australia and Italy (were we are getting our two real warships we bought) now Croatia which are planing a joint venture on defense industry especial shipbuilding also with Vietnam we were impress of the ship they build with a low budget so we to follow their method or planing to buy the said ship when they mass produce it so things are looking great if politics don't get in way of this new modernization plan which has been a plan for the past 15 years (The law that started our military modernization expired 2010) with almost nothing done thanks to politics and corruption not even half so i really hope it goes very well this time.