Acquisition of PHL’s biggest warship won’t alarm China — Palace

Malacañang said on Sunday that the impending arrival of the Philippines’ newest and biggest warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which will patrol areas near the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), is not likely to agitate China. “Hindi naman siguro," presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said. Valte said this was part of what President Benigno Aquino III had promised the Philippine Navy during its turnover of command ceremony last year — that the Armed Forces will get modernized equipment to boost its capability to patrol and protect the country’s territory. The 3,390-ton BRP Gregorio del Pilar, formerly known as the US Coast Guard cutter Hamilton, will sail off the ports of San Francisco, California on Monday afternoon, and head for the Philippines. (See: PHL formally acquires US Hamilton-class cutter) The BRP Del Pilar has two 1,800-horsepower gas turbines to propel it up to 29 knots. It also has a helicopter flight deck, a retractable hangar, and other facilities that support helicopter operations. It was originally commissioned in 1967 to serve the US Coast Guard before it was sold.

Funded by, to protect Malampaya project The Philippines bought the 115-m (378-foot) cutter for around P450 million under the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, paying with money from the Philippine Malampaya project over which the ship will ensure maritime security. The Malampaya natural gas project is in waters west of Palawan near the disputed Spratly Islands. The President had earlier lamented that patrolling the country’s territorial waters was troublesome because the Philippine Navy only had a “fleet of one" – the 306-foot BRP Rajah Humabon, a Cannon-class destroyer-escort commissioned in 1943 and used during World War II. During the first half of the year, the Philippines has complained that China had committed several intrusions in areas claimed by the Philippines, most notably in the Recto Bank (or Reed Bank) which is not even part of the disputed Spratly Islands but is actually part of the territorial waters off Palawan. PHL facilities worse than other claimants Other counties staking their claims to all or some of Spratlys have beefed up their military presence and have even introduced development in the islands they occupy. On the other hand, facilities set up on islands occupied by the Philippines are in pretty bad shape. For instance, the Philippine Air Force runway in Pag-Asa island is deteriorating, as disclosed Prof. Rommel Banlaoi in a paper he wrote in 2010. As Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism Research executive director, Banlaoi noted that aside from a small naval detachment, a police station, military barracks and an observation tower, Pag-Asa island also has a commercial mobile phone station, sports facilities, and several civilian houses. He compared these to other islands occupied by the Philippines which only have makeshift naval facilities made up of wooden structures and some concrete buildings. In contrast, he pointed out that China has equipped the islands it occupies with facilities such as a helipad, runway, concrete buildings with high-powered guns, and ships with surface to surface missiles and anti-submarine mortars. Moreover, Banloi said islands occupied by Vietnam have a well-paved runway, piers, storage tanks, gun emplacements, battle tanks, radar, light posts, windmills, barracks, bunkers, and a helipad. One island even has a football field, while another has a lagoon for tourists. As for Swallow Reef, he said Malaysia has built a resort-type hotel, swimming pool, windmills, communications facilities, barracks, and helipad; while another island that Malaysia occupies even has a sepak takraw court. —MRT/KBK, GMA News