Talks on PH-Canada defense pact in final stages

David Bruce Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines (left); and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. during the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Canada and the Philippines. —Photo from the Department of National Defense

MANILA, Philippines — Canada and the Philippines are in the final stages of negotiating a key defense pact that would allow their forces to hold larger military drills in the South China Sea, where Ottawa has rejected China’s “provocative and unlawful actions,” the Canadian ambassador to Manila said.

Canada has been reinforcing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and has committed to help promote the rule of law and expand trade and investment.

That dovetails with Philippine efforts under President Marcos to broaden defense ties with friendly countries to bolster his country’s external defense as it faces an increasingly assertive China in the disputed waters.

READ: PH, Japan, US, Canada hold multilateral maritime activity in WPS

Third visiting force pact

Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said on Friday night that his country and the Philippines were “in the final stages of the negotiations of our status of forces visiting agreement that will enable us to have even more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations with the Philippines and allies here in the region.”

Hartman spoke before Philippine national security officials, foreign ambassadors and defense attaches aboard the HMCS Ottawa, a Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate on a port visit to Manila. The vessel will take part in a joint exercise next week, he said.

The Philippine military has staged multinational patrols and drills since last year with counterparts from the United States, Japan, France, Australia and Canada, including in the South China Sea, infuriating China.

In August last year, Canada joined the United States, Australia and the Philippines in air and naval maneuvers to promote the rule of law and unhindered passage in the South China Sea.

Canada signed an agreement on defense cooperation with the Philippines last year.

Dark vessel detection

Another agreement signed in Ottawa in 2023 gave the Philippines access to data from Canada’s “Dark Vessel Detection System.”

The Philippine coast guard has accused China coast guard ships and fishing vessels of switching off their location-transmitting devices to avoid detection and surveillance in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has visiting forces agreements, which provide a legal framework for temporary visits of foreign troops and large- scale combat exercises, only with the United States and Australia.

The Philippines is in separate talks over defense pacts with France and New Zealand. —AP