US general misquoted, says Gazmin
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Friday that US Gen. Herbert Carlisle had claimed he was misquoted in the news when he appeared to have criticized the heightened rhetoric of President Benigno Aquino III against China.
“Carlisle said he was misquoted,” Gazmin told the Inquirer in an interview.
Gazmin said Defense Undersecretary Honorio Azcueta relayed the information to him.
Azcueta met Carlisle at the Singapore Airshow a few days ago after the US general’s statements were published by Bloomberg on Feb. 10.
By then, the defense department had fired off a strong reaction to Carlisle’s statement.
“What we are saying on our part, clearly we are the ones being harassed here and the statement of the President is rallying the international community, stating that we are invoking the rule of law,” Gazmin said.
Gazmin said the United States ensured the freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in the region.
“Their cold stance presence in the area would be of help in the region, that there would be no expansionism or aggressiveness on the part of other countries. If the United States is not there, then that’s when the problems come in,” he said. Nikko Dizon
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