US open to joint patrols with PH in S. China Sea

The United States is open to the possibility of joint naval operations with the Philippines in the South China Sea, now that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between the two countries is in place.

“I don’t think there is a limitation on what the United States can do,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said at the Pandesal Forum, a weekly news forum in Quezon City, on Wednesday.

Goldberg was asked if there would be some limitations should the Philippines request for a joint naval patrol in the West Philippine Sea, the name the Philippines calls its territorial waters.

Goldberg, however, refused to say whether there would be future joint maritime patrols.

“We do discuss that principle (joint patrols) with the Philippines. But I am not discarding that possibility,” Goldberg said, adding that the United States will continue to conduct freedom of navigation patrols in the disputed sea.

“The United States will follow the international law and will continue to enjoy our right to sail into international waters and fly over international air space,” he said.

The Philippines’ interest for joint maritime patrols with the United States was tackled during the 2+2 ministerial meeting among the defense and foreign officials of the two countries.

China earlier criticized the US’ latest freedom of navigation patrol in which its guided missile destroyer, the USS Curtis Wilbur, sailed within the 12 nautical miles of Triton island, one of those occupied by China in the Paracel islands.

The island is being claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

The US ship docked in Manila Bay on Jan. 24 as part of its routine visit for maintenance and crew rest, according to the US Embassy in Manila.

While the Edca was largely viewed as a deterrent to China’s activities in the South China Sea, Goldberg noted that the “Edca itself was not designed to address the issue of the South China Sea.”

“The effort is to help the Philippines develop its modernization program in the Armed Forces,” he said.

Goldberg said the Edca sought to help the Philippines establish its minimum credible defense and help address “21st-century challenges,” which include maritime security and maritime domain awareness.

Both sides, he said, are now fleshing out details on how to implement the agreement, which was recently declared constitutional by the Supreme Court.