Navy mulls combining Luzon forces amid sea tension

THE Philippine Navy is considering to combine its forces in Luzon as part of its plan to strengthen itself in securing the archipelago in view of China’s expansion in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“Part of our active archipelagic defense strategy is to combine Naval Forces Northern Luzon and Naval Forces West to and it will be Naval  Northwest Command,” Navy spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM’s Banner Story on Monday.

“There will be only one commander and we will fuse our facilities and equipment,” he said.

The Naval Forces West in Palawan currently holds jurisdiction of the Philippine-claimed areas in the disputed West Philippine Sea. The Philippines currently has nine detachments in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) in the resource-rich disputed territory.

The Naval Forces Northern in Luzon is based in La Union. Arevalo did not say where the Naval Northwest would be stationed.

Arevalo also revealed that they are in the planning stage in acquiring submarines.

“May plano tayo mag-acquire [ng submarine] nyan nagre-ready na tayo ng personnel…Pero matagal pa po ito…baka po for the next six years probably makakarating yan,” he said.

China has made significant progress in its reclamation activities in the disputed seas, including in areas that is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine Navy will celebrate its 117th anniversary on Monday at Fort San Felipe in Cavite with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin as guest of honor.

The Navy also acquired its first oil tanker recently. The former motor tanker from Philippine National Oil Company was commissioned and christened as the BRP Lake Caliraya (AF81). AC