The Philippines and the United States have agreed to mount joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea before the end of the year, the National Security Council (NSC) said on Friday.

NSC Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya said that among the country's key strategies in the West Philippine Sea is strengthening partnerships with other countries and allies, while supporting a rules-based international order.

“That is why the President went to the US, met with the President of the US, President Joe Biden, and reinvigorated our mutual defense treaty. We also have good relations with Australia, we have a visiting forces agreement with Australia," Malaya said in a West Philippine Summit. 

"Recently, [National Security Adviser Eduardo] Año met with the national security advisers of Japan and the US in a trilateral meeting. I think in the very near future magkakaroon po ng joint patrols, or joint sail ang PIlipinas at ang Estados Unidos. Abangan po natin yan,” he added.

Malaya said the joint patrol with the US would not necessarily aggravate the situation in the general South China Sea region if international law is strictly followed. 

The purpose of the joint patrol is simply to ensure freedom of navigation by keeping sea lanes open, he added. 

“Maliwanag naman under international law kung ano 'yung international seas. Basta tayo, we adhere with the UNCLOS. Kung ano man ang nakalagay sa UNCLOS where the international law allows us to sail doon tayo magse-sail,” he said.

When asked about the prospect of having a joint military exercise with China, Malaya said there is no legal basis at the moment. The NSC has also yet to receive any proposal on this. 

“Well, unang-una kasi, for us to have joint military exercises kailangan magkaroon tayo ng Visiting Forces Agreement with China. So wala tayong VFA with China so that is that is the really big problem,” the official said.

During the summit, the NSC also noted the importance of the defense and coastguard modernization, which would help increase the country’s deterrence capabilities. 

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu reiterated his agency's commitment to patrolling the West Philippine Sea to assert the country’s sovereignty.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said 27 percent of the marine fisheries production for the Philippines come from the West Philippine Sea.

The BFAR had said Filipino fishermen could have caught more fish in the West Philippine Sea if no Chinese incursions occurred. 

In April, Washington and Manila agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea, and struck a deal to give US troops access to another four military facilities in the Philippines, on top of five existing EDCA sites.

China claims most of the strategic waters as part of its territory. The Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia also have overlapping claims.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in July 2016 that China's basis for its claims has no legal backing. Beijing refuses to honor the decision.

Full story here: https://tinylinkurl.com/Philippines-US-to-mount-West-PH-Sea-joint-patrols-by-end-2023