The armed forces chief admitted Wednesday that the country has no military might to stop foreign aggression in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David, Jr. made the admission during a press conference after the 52nd Philippine-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) meeting. David took note of reports that Vietnam and Malaysia, two of the seven claimants to the contested islands, are purchasing submarines as part of their military buildup. “These (plans for military buildup) are only natural tendencies of states to protect their interest. It's only normal for Malaysia and Vietnam to have these military hardware so that they can protect their interest in the area,” David said. Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, the Spratlys are claimed in whole or in parts by China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brunei. China claims all of Nansha islands, its term for the Spratly Islands, and most of the South China Sea for historical reasons. But the Chinese claims are not marked by coordinates or otherwise clearly defined. In contrast, the Philippines has clearly defined the coordinates of its claimed territories in the area based on the proximity principle and the maps drawn by a Philippine explorer in 1956. In 1971, the Philippines officially claimed eight islands which it refers to as the Kalayaan islands. Based on the 1956 exploration, the Philippines contends that the Kalayaan islands are not part of the Spratly Islands and solely belong to the Philippines.. In 1972, the government designated the islands as part of Palawan province. But despite its strong claims to the islands, the Philippines cannot enforce such claims if faced with foreign threats because of its antiquated military forces, David said. “If war breaks out, we don't have the means to shoot back,” he admitted. He said this predicament can only be addressed by modernizing the military and acquiring more weapons to be able to guard the country's territory. “The Philippines must now procure or must have this minimal asset, even minimal. This we ask from our countrymen,” David said. Also in attendance at Wednesday's press conference was US Admiral Robert Willard, commander of the Hawaii-based US Pacific Command. Willard backed up David's call for the Philippines to start modernizing its armed forces. He said the Philippine government can prevent conflict by investing in sufficient military and security apparatuses to be able to protect its territorial waters. The US admiral assured that the United States is doing its best to help bolster the Philippines' defense needs including joint training and exchange of intelligence information. President Benigno Aquino III earlier said the Philippines will abide by a proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea to be drafted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Department of Foreign Affairs said such a formal code of conduct would enable ASEAN member-nations and China to avoid tension around disputed territories.
