‘Allies needed vs bullies’

They’re near our doorstep – DND chief

The country needs stronger military partnerships with its allies while building up its own defense capabilities in the face of ÒbullyingÓ by an ÒoppressiveÓ China, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday.

Gazmin’s declaration came on the heels of an announcement that the United States and other allies would be given access to the country’s air and naval facilities, particularly at two former US bases in Clark and Subic, to counter China’s expanding presence in Philippine waters.

“At this point, we cannot stand alone. We need to form alliances. If we don’t, bigger forces will bully us, and that is happening now,” Gazmin told reporters in Filipino yesterday.

He called China “an oppressive neighbor” that has already trespassed into the Philippines’ “garage.”

“While we are filing cases ( before an international tribunal) and at the same time building up our capability to address our security concerns, it’s important that we collaborate with other countries friendly and sympathetic to us,” he said.

He bewailed that Chinese vessels have remained in Philippine territorial waters despite an arbitration case filed