MANILA -- The Marcos administration’s adoption of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept or Strategy is a move in the right direction and a manifestation its seriousness to tackle external security challenges that the Philippines is facing particularly with the recent tension in the West Philippine Sea, a geopolitical expert said on Saturday.
In a news forum in Quezon City, Prof. Renato de Castro of the De La Salle University mentioned the new foreign policy recently announced by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
The Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, Teodoro said, was adopted by the Marcos administration for its whole-of-government approach to address the maritime dispute with China.
“Itong Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept ay isang pahiwatig na finally talagang siniseryoso talaga ng gobyerno iyong challenges natin ng external defense kasi matagal na, ilang dekada na, marami ng administrasyon ang nagdaang na parang masyado talagang na-absorb ang atensiyon ng defense sa internal security operations eh,” De Castro told the news forum.
“Pero ngayon ang nagiging malaking challenge ay ito ngang external security threat na talagang aktibong kinukuha iyong ating mga katubigan at iyong ating likas yamang-dagat. Kapag hindi sila napigilan diyan sigurado na in the future papasok talaga sila sa ating mga interisland waters at saka mga resources natin ‘no kaya kailangan talaga ito,” he said.
The adoption of the new security strategy is also reflected in the government’s decision to focus and pour money on Re-Horizon 3 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), De Castro stated.
He added the recognition of the external threat over the internal has been articulated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his several speeches last year.
De Castro said the very essence of the strategy is to develop the country’s ability to project comprehensive power in its exclusive economic zone – not only in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea but, also in the entirety of its territorial jurisdiction.
“When we talk about comprehensive power, ang talagang pumapasok dito iyong ating Sandatahang Lakas – so, ang ibig sabihin nito we will have to strengthen iyong maritime capabilities natin at saka air, and of course develop [other services of the] Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” De Castro said.
“Of course, this will entail a huge amount of money kasi talagang we really have to start from scratch ‘no but this is of course our effort to address what I call ‘no – a quintessential security threat which is of course China literally knocking on our door,” he added.
Under the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, the country’s active archipelagic defense should level up and improve and must incorporate other services of the AFP, not only the Philippine Navy, he said.
Chinese vessels harassed the Philippines’ resupply mission in the Ayungin Shoal, while threatening Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal.
Also just recently, two Chinese scientific survey vessels were spotted in Benham Rise, the Pacific side of the Philippine territorial waters. (PND)
