Show of force: AFP urged to conduct amphibious landing drills with US on Pag-asa Island

By Billy Begas

House Committee on Strategic Intelligence and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Sunday urged the Philippines and US military to conduct a joint amphibious landing maneuvers on Pag-asa Island.

Pimentel made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.

“We would urge Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to propose the inclusion of joint amphibious landing drills on Pag-asa in the next Balikatan,” Pimentel said.

Balikatan refers to the annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercises that are meant to boost joint crisis-action planning and the interoperability of forces.

“While we must avoid escalating tensions, we should also develop the abilities of our combined forces to operate side by side and rapidly respond to a full range of events, including conflict in our waters,” Pimentel pointed out.

He said the same can be done under the country’s VFA with Australia.

Pimentel is counting on the revitalization of the VFA with America “to provide a psychological deterrence” to armed conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea.

“The VFA reinforces in a big way our Mutual Defense Treaty with America that is turning 70 years old this month,” Pimentel said.

Pag-asa island is located 480 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City and belongs to the Kalayaan Island Group at the western section of the Spratly archipelago in the West Philippine Sea.

The entire Spratly archipelago and its many ridges are being claimed by China.

Then President Ferdinand Marcos established by decree in 1978 the Municipality of Kalayaan over the Kalayaan Island Group under the Province of Palawan.

At present, Pag-asa is guarded by a small military detachment led by an officer with the rank of lieutenant. The Philippine Navy also has the Naval Station Emilio Liwanag on the island.

Pag-asa used to be a purely military installation, until the government allowed civilians to settle in.

Last year, the Department of National Defense built a beaching ramp on the island as part of the military’s basing support system while the Department of Transportation has put up a new sheltered port on the island for Filipino fishing vessels.

The government is also constructing a 1.3 kilometer airstrip in the island.

The post Show of force: AFP urged to conduct amphibious landing drills with US on Pag-asa Island first appeared on .

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)