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Tag: SEATO

Will Spratlys tension pave the way for US troops in PH?

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2011

An anti-submarine helicopter on the flight deck of USS Howard, a missile-guided destroyer that participated in the PH-US military exercise
To those who got excited with the statement of United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Harry Thomas about supporting the Philippines in the Spratlys issue, read carefully what they said.

Thomas said: “We are allies. We will continue to work with each other in all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys.” This was at the time when the Philippines was protesting the intrusions of Chinese armed vessels in West Philippine Sea.

Thomas got hearty applause when he repeated that assurance during the launching of the National Renewable Energy Program at the Department of Energy in the presence of President Aquino.

Thomas also said that the US stands “by our commitment under Mutual Defense Treaty.”

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PH military eyes SEATO-like deal to lease patrol boats from US

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2011

This story is also posted in www.verafiles.org

USS Chung Hoon approaching Puerto Princesa Bay to participate in PH-US military exercises

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files

Amid renewed tensions in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine military is batting to revive the concept of an anti-communist collective defense of Southeast Asia to enable the country to enter into a leasing arrangement of patrol boats with the United States.

An operational lease would allow the Philippine Navy to use newer U.S. ships, Navy Vice Commander Rear Admiral Orwen Cortez told a press conference following the opening ceremony of the PH-US Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Puerto Princesa on Tuesday.

“We have experience with this during the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) way back in the ‘50s when U.S. ships came to the Philippines, so that was the background and we’re trying to revive that concept,” he said.

Continue readingPH military eyes SEATO-like deal to lease patrol boats from US