“Anytime, in any place.” Philippines mobilize troops to the Southern Sea of ​​China

The Philippine Army will be highlighted “soon” to Southern China’s islands. Manila intends to increase the capacity of her military forces in the region and counteract the strong maritime presence of China.

A Filipino Military Officer revealed that soon a contingent of the country’s army will be mobilized to support Law Application Units in the islands occupied by the Philippines in the Southern Sea of ​​China.

Observers stated that the strategy would be aligned with Manila’s political change from an internal to external defense stance to protect the territorial waters of the country.

An expert quoted by the warning, however, that this strategic decision could lead to more aggressive movements by the Navy and Chinese Coast Guard, if Beijing seees Manila’s plan as a escalation of the Philippine position.

“China probably You will see this mobilization as a climb and you can answer with more aggressive maritime patrols, ”he says Sherwin Onaresearcher at the Institute of Research on Taiwan National Defense and Security, cited by SCMP.

On Tuesday, the commander of the Filipino Army, Lieutenant General Roy enterstold journalists that their troops are now capable of rapid mobilization and can operate effectively on various land and under different situations.

“We are ready. As they heard and based on our exercises, the army at this time It is highly mobile and very agile. We can be transported. A battalion can always be transported at any time, and taken to any site of our country ”.

Questioned by journalists about when the mobilization of troops would start, Galido replied that It would be “soon”.

The Philippine Army spokesman, Colonel Louie Deman-roadstressed that the army had no presence in the Nine Islands in the Sea of ​​Western Philippinesterm used by Manila for an area in the Southern Sea of ​​China that considers they are within their exclusive economic zone.

The army, the largest branch of the Philippine Armed Forces, has about 150,000 staff active and 1.2 million reservists.

At the moment, Navy Personal Filipina and some members of the Coast Guard are highlighted for nine positions in the freedommore than 450 km A OESTE de PALAWANa province focused on the Southern Sea of ​​China.

As tensions in the center of the southern china seaor Southern Sea of ​​China, have increased since Beijing has claimed that virtually the entire sea is part of its territorial waters.

The claim is vigorously contested For Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, who vie with China to possess several islands in the region. It is believed that the huge area, which includes sea and islands, is Rich in oil and gas.

In the last 10 years, China has in the Southern Sea of ​​China, Taking submerged coral reefsbuilding large air bases on them and highlighting hundreds of ships to reinforce their claimOver all strategic sea routes running south from large exporting cities on the Chinese coast.

Few of the Southeast Asian countries that also claim islands in the same sea dare face China; Only Vietname and the Philippines They did it.

These two countries have much smaller armies than China’sbut keep control over a small number of reefs and islands, allowing them to complain sovereignty about part of the disputed waters – among which the small island of Zap recently known.