Escudero on $500-M military aid from US: PH needs it

By: Charie Abarca - 4 months ago

[From left to right] United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, PH Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and PH Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. join hands during a photo opportunity before the start of ‘4th Philippines-US Two-Plus-Two Ministerial Consultations’ at the Tejeros Hall in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on July 30, 2024. Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The United States’ provision of $500 million military aid to the Philippines shows they are “equal partners in maintaining peace, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based approach to differences,” Senate President Francis Escudero said on Wednesday.

In a message to reporters, Escudero also said the military aid is “unprecedented assistance and investment” that the Philippines “has been needing.”

“I do not think this will provoke or agitate China because strengthening one’s own military, like them and most countries, in order to keep the peace is the right and obligation of every country,” he added.

China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, with claims overlapping the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines, Vietnam, and other countries, causing regional tension.

On the other hand, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III criticized the military aid from the US.

In a message to reporters, the Senate minority leader pointed out that the US could have assisted the Philippines in agriculture.

“Military hardware na naman na walang pakinabang sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda natin. Why doesn’t America make an unprecedented investment in our agricultural sector?” Pimentel said.

(They are again giving us military hardware that our farmers and fishermen cannot use.)

“Why always military hardware? And for all we know, they are giving us their surplus military hardware for already being obsolete or old technology,” he added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disclosed that the US would be allocating an additional $500 million in military financing to the Philippines.

He said the initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippines-US bilateral security sector assistance roadmap, as well as doubling the investments in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, for the 4th Philippines-US Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (2+2 Dialogue).

READ: US, PH top execs hold defense meet amid West Philippine Sea tension