National and territorial threats real, says Navy chief

Vice Admiral Jesus Millan. PHOTO from www.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—With the lingering problem over the disputed islands, the Philippine Navy chief admitted that the threat brewing in the South China Sea is “present” and “real.”

Vice Admiral Jesus Millan, Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command, said during the Navy’s 116th anniversary at Ulugan Bay, Palawan that the threats are the “challenges” facing his military arm today.

“We recognize the enormity of the challenges that confront the Navy as it faces the new year,” Millan said. “The menace of the various threats to national security and territorial integrity are real and present.”

Millan said that the geopolitical landscape in the region remains unstable with every development that happens in the disputed islands.

“The geopolitical landscape changes without the latest developments and volatile situation in the region,” Millan said.

“But the Navy commits to remain steadfast to surmount the odds and meets the expectations of our people,” he said.

Philippine Navy held its anniversary just 100 nautical miles from the Spratly Islands, the “frontlines” of the Philippine territory as Millan said.

China has continued to build structures in the disputed territories, the latest of which is an artificial island worth $5-billion in the Spratlys within the 200-mile Philippine exclusive economic zone.

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