PH-Malaysia war exercise fosters ties

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines—The Philippine and Malaysian armies concluded a two-week battle simulation exercise at Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, on Sunday.

Gathered at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Peacekeeping Operations Center at the camp, Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes and Gen. Datuk Raja Mohamed Affandi Bin Raja Mohamed Noor declared Land MALPHI 14-2013 closed, citing “stronger ties” as a result of the bilateral exercise.

“The overarching goal of Land MALPHI Exercise is to provide the venue where both the armies of the Philippines and Malaysia can work and operate together in a simulated conventional environment to address the various defense and security challenges confronting our respective countries,” Coballes, the Philippine Army chief, said in a statement.

At least 70 Filipino and 40 Malaysian officers took part in the command post and battle simulation exercise.

The exercise, the statement said, adopted a “conventional operational setting that is centered on the Malaysian forces coming in aid of the Philippine forces to defend the latter’s territory from a national invading force.”

Col. Wilson Marie Reyes, the exercise director, said the objectives were met.—Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon