MANILA — Philippines President Benigno Aquino said Monday that the country is
moving to expand its military capabilities but was quick to point out that the
Southeast Asian nation isn't preparing for a fight over disputed territory in
the South China Sea.
In his annual state of the nation
address to Congress, Mr. Aquino urged lawmakers to pass a proposed Armed Forces
modernization bill that will add 75 billion pesos ($1.8 billion) for defense
spending in the next five years to acquire more cannons, personnel carriers, frigates
and aircraft. The bill is pending in Congress and expected to be passed later
this year, and will come on top of some 28 billion pesos his administration has
already spent on military expansion since 2011.
It also comes as tensions are
ratcheting up in other ways in the sea, as China pursues plans to deploy a
military garrison in the newly established city of Sansha in the Xisha Islands,
also known as the Paracel Islands, according to the state-run Xinhua news
agency. Philippines and Vietnamese officials have protested the creation of the
city, which Chinese authorities intend to use as an administration center to
manage territories across the South China Sea. The sea—which is believed to
contain sizable energy reserves and serves as one of the world's most important
shipping lanes—is claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
The garrison will be a
division-level command responsible for managing the city's national defense
mobilization, military reserves and carrying out military operations, Xinhua
said, though information regarding the number of soldiers or other details
wasn't made available.
Even with Mr. Aquino's latest
plans, the Philippines' military strength will still pale in comparison with
China and some other Asian nations. But it is part of a wider arms build-up
across the region which analysts worry could further raise tensions and
increase the odds of a shooting war if diplomats fail to manage disputes in the
sea carefully.
Mr. Aquino said more planes and
attack helicopters are expected next year, while the country's second Hamilton
Class cutter will soon arrive.
"Now, our 36,000 kilometers
of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships," Mr. Aquino said.
The Philippines and China
recently had a two-month standoff in the disputed Scarborough Shoal—a chain of
reefs and rocks in the South China Sea also known as Bajo de Masinloc—after
Chinese fishermen were caught with endangered species by Philippine patrol ships.
Ships involved in the standoff finally began to withdraw last month after heavy
storms made it difficult for them to remain, but arguments have persisted over
who controls what there.
"There are those who say
that we should let Bajo de Masinloc go; we should avoid the trouble. But if
someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it
be right to give away that which is rightfully ours?" Mr. Aquino said.
"This is not a simple
situation, and there can be no simple solutions. Rest assured: We are
consulting experts, every leader of our nation, our allies—even those on the
other side—to find a resolution that is acceptable to all," Mr. Aquino
added.
China's Foreign Ministry didn't
immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also during the
one-and-a-half-hour-long speech that was broadcast live, President Aquino said
that a highly touted anticorruption agenda put in place by his government had
helped boost economic growth, helping give the Philippines the strongest growth
in Southeast Asia in the first quarter of the year. He noted that the
Philippines has also overseen the creation of over three million jobs and
several credit rating upgrades in nearly three years, which in turn has helped
restore investor confidence and boost tourist arrivals.
He said the strong investor
confidence in the country was evident in the recent robust performance of the
stock market and the praise the Philippines has won from international
financial publications and foreign investors.
Mr. Aquino also urged Congress to
pass proposed revisions to a tobacco and alcoholic drinks tax, or better known
as sin tax, to generate more revenue for social services, infrastructure
projects and improving military capability.
He said that as early as next
year, the Philippines—which several years ago was the world's largest importer
of rice—will be a net exporter of the grain, while tourist arrivals should hit
a record 4.6 million this year. Mr. Aquino is hopeful that before he steps down
in 2016, there will be 10 million tourists visiting the Philippines.
Patrick Barta and Jeremy Page
contributed to this article.
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