PBBM looks forward to more war games
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is looking forward to more war games with allied countries as the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, as well as other foreign armies, ended on Friday, May 10.
“He (Marcos) extends his congratulations to both armed forces and all those who participated for the successful conduct of this year’s exercise and he looks forward to next year’s exercise which will be, I believe, a full battle simulation which will put to the test the combined capabilities in the most realistic of scenarios possible with safety in mind,” said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in a speech.
“The President no less is waiting for an extensive debrief of our successes, but more so, of our gaps and what we need to fill in capabilities, in interoperability, in human resources capabilities too and in sustainment which is extremely important for the continuation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation going forward,” Teodoro said.
This year’s Balikatan exercises were considered the biggest and were observed by at least 14 countries.
Among the highlights are the joint sail of Philippine, US, and French naval ships within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the firing of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at mock targets in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and conduct of humanitarian missions in some parts of the country.
The Balikatan exercises, which started on April 22, ended in maritime strike exercises that involved the sinking of an oil tanker of the Philippine Navy.
Increased pressure
Teodoro said this year’s Balikatan compelled Philippine troops to get out of their comfort zones and give out their best for various war games activities.
“I have told the Armed Forces of the Philippines that we will increase the pressure continuously for them to evolve as soon as possible into a multi-threat multi-theater operating armed force consistent with the archipelagic doctrine nature of our country and the necessity for defending it in a proactive and not a passive manner,” said Teodoro.
“In the same vein, exercises such as this should be continued because for us men who are consigned to kitchen at home, we know the worst thing in a kitchen is dull knives and a good chef hones the knife every day. This is what we should do and this is what we are going to do singularly, bilaterally and multilaterally,” he added.
Thank you
Marcos thanked countries like France for being “very supportive” in the Philippines’ bid to protect its territory.
“Kami nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga iba’t-ibang bansa kahit na hindi...iyong iba nga ay nanggagaling sa malayo pa ngunit sila ay handang tumulong sa atin at kapag tayo’y nagkakaproblema, very supportive sila hanggang hindi lamang sa salita kung hindi pati na sa mga tinatawag na joint cruises (We are thankful that different countries, some are far countries but stand ready to help us and if we encounter a problem, they are very supportive not just through words but through what we call joint cruises),” Marcos said in an interview in General Santos City on Friday.
The President said this move by various countries is crucial in upholding the freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea, considering that it is a key passage for global trade.
“Napakalaking bagay ‘yan dahil ito lang ang paraan upang magarantiya natin na ang West Philippine Sea ay patuloy ang tinatawag na freedom of navigation (That is a huge thing because this is one way to guarantee that the freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea remains),” he said.
Marcos noted that many are passing through the WPS, stressing that maintaining its peace and stability is crucial for the global economy.
“Kaya’t lahat ng tumutulong sa atin, tayo kasama rin diyan, lahat ng tumutulong sa Pilipinas, kami’y nagpapasalamat at ito ay magiging malaking bagay, malaking tulong para mapayapa at maging stable, may stability ang West Philippine Sea (We are thankful to all those helping the Philippines, and this would be huge as it would help us maintain the peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea),” Marcos said.