The Philippine Territory

Washington will raise its military assistance to the Philippines by two-thirds, helping its oldest security ally in Asia defend vast maritime borders against what it sees as Chinese assertiveness, Manila's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Albert Del Rosario said Washington had increased its military assistance package from $30 million next fiscal year to about $50 million, the highest level since US troops returned to the Philippines in 2000.

"For military financing, it's an allocation that is worked out by the US Congress, and it's usually for acquisition and maintenance," Del Rosario told reporters.
Rosario said the Philippines may acquire a third Hamilton-class cutter to boost its efforts to patrol sea borders in view of recurring standoffs with China over territory in the South China Sea.

The Hamilton-class high endurance cutter is the largest and newest warship in the Philippine Navy. The first two ships were acquired free of charge under the excess defense articles under which Washington provides old equipment no longer in active use. But $25 million was spent to refurbish them.

The second cutter is to arrive next week in Subic Bay, a former US Navy base, 50 km northwest of Manila.


Meanwhile, the Philippines said Wednesday that US spy planes were providing crucial intelligence on Chinese military activities in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft frequently fly over areas that the Philippines says are within its legal territory but where China has deployed military vessels, said Del Rosario.

"I think it's of significant importance for us," Del Rosario told reporters, when asked about the value of the information gathered by the spy planes.
"We do have an interest in terms of what is going on with our exclusive economic zone, within our continental shelf, and we want to know if there are any intrusions."

While the US insists it will not take sides in the South China Sea dispute, it has helped to upgrade the Philippines' military capabilities. When asked if the spy plane surveillance on China may jar with the US' insistence of neutrality in the maritime dispute, Del Rosario emphasized the close US-Philippine ties.

He said the allies had a mutual defense treaty, which calls on each party to help the other in times of external aggression.
When asked how long the spy planes had been flying over the Philippine-claimed waters of the South China Sea, Del Rosario said since at least he became foreign secretary in 2010.

Reuters - AFP