US Pacific command chief, Del Rosario tackle developments in West Philippine Sea

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario said he discussed “developments in the West Philippine Sea” with United States Pacific Command chief Admiral Samuel Locklear at a meeting they had at the Department of Foreign Affairs Monday.

Locklear was seen arriving at the DFA office in Pasay around 2:30 p.m. He was accompanied by Harry Thomas, US Ambassador to the Philippines.

“We spoke about many topics. We spoke about regional issues. We spoke about bilateral issues. We talked about WPS, developments there. We also talked about the credible defense posture, and we also talked about maritime domain awareness and the assistance that we’re seeking from them,” Del Rosario said in an interview with reporters after he accompanied Locklear and his staff at the lobby of the DFA building.

When asked if the talks involved the proposed plan of Malacañang to ask the US to send spy planes to Scarborough Shoal, Del Rosario just said: “We didn’t talk about the spy planes.”

Jose L. Cuisia, Philippine Ambassador to the US, in a separate interview, said that he was not aware that there was a formal request made to the US after President Benigno Aquino III made the statement recently about the possibility of allowing American surveillance planes to fly over the disputed West Philippine Sea.

Cuisia added that the talks involved on-going discussions on what exactly the Philippines would need from the US.

“Well that is being discussed in terms of what exactly the Philippines would need. There are exactly on-going discussions on that. Purchasing hardware and joint use of facilities. Things like that that we’ve discussed before. Training and more joint exercises. That’s part of the over-all discussions,” Cuisia said.