US, Philippines in no hurry to sign deal on troops’ presence

Manila: Negotiators from the United States and the Philippines will not fast-track talks on an agreement ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit, a spokesman said on Monday.

The agreement focuses on an increased presence of US troops and equipment in the Philippines. Obama is expected to be in Manila from October 11 to 12.

“These discussions have been going on for several months — if I’m not mistaken, over a year now, so we cannot say this is being hurried. We are making slow but steady progress on the [US proposed] rotational presence [in the Philippines],” Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Group, said in a radio interview.

“Whether or not we will sign something during the Obama visit is not something I can answer at this point,” Carandang said.

Explaining the importance of the ongoing US-Philippines negotiations on an improved military alliance, Carandang said: “What I can assure our countrymen is that these discussions with the US will lead to enhanced security for the Philippines and that’s why we’re entering into these discussions.”

Military aid

Negotiations aim to step up already existing joint training of Filipino and American air, naval and ground forces. Philippine officials said the US, in turn, will increase military assistance to the country.

Noting the importance of Obama’s earlier announcement about the US’ pivot toward East Asia and the Pacific, Carandang said: “Our ties will continue to grow stronger [with the US plan].”

During Obama’s visit, he and Philippine President Benigno Aquino will talk about China’s incursions into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, Carandang said. “I think we cannot avoid talking about this [territorial dispute with China] because that is part of the context of our action to enhance our maritime security [with help from the US],” Carandang said.

“This is one of the biggest issues concerning not only the Philippines, but also Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Japan,” Carandang said, referring to other countries that have current maritime disputes with China.

China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim the whole of the South China Sea based on their respective historical rights over it.

In comparison, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines claim some parts of the Spratly Archipelago off the South China Sea, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that provides 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to countries starting from their shores.

The Philippines has complained that China has been occupying shoals and rocks near the Philippines, on the country’s EEZ in the South China Sea. These shoals are closer to the Philippines than the Kalayaan (Freedom) eight-island chain that the Philippines has claimed in the Spratly Archipelago off the South China Sea.

Peaceful resolution

Earlier, the US has reiterated its desire for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the South China Sea. It has also not taken sides with countries that have raised issues of overlapping claims with China.

The Philippines is Obama’s last stop in his four-nation Southeast Asian tour. He will be in Indonesia to attend the leaders’ summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation on October 6. He will proceed to Brunei for the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit. He will give a keynote speech at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Malaysia.

He will return to the US on October 12, after his two-day visit in Manila.