More troops, infra projects up for Kalayaan

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Expect more and better infrastructure projects on Kalayaan town, particularly Pag-asa Island, the seat of the country’s frontier municipality at the West Philippine Sea (WPS), in the next five to 10 years, according to Vice Adm. Alfonso Torres Jr., chief of the Western Command (Wescom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Torres made the announcement during the West Philippine Sea Victory Day celebration on July 12, on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the arbitral tribunal ruling on the case filed by the Philippine government against China.
The ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague upheld the Philippines’ claim of territorial jurisdiction and maritime rights over WPS and nullified China’s nine-dash line in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“I would like to update our friends that your Armed Forces of the Philippines through the National Defense Department is doing a lot of operational strategies for the West Philippine Sea,” Torres said.
He added: “These projects will be to [further] strengthen and fortify our occupation in all our islands,. These are not only for the AFP but of course, in collaboration with other government agencies as a manifestation of their efforts in defending our sovereignty.”
Additionally, he said additional troops and capabilities would also be deployed to augment the AFP’s capabilities in the area.
“More footprints will be coming in, we will have additional troops because our needs are also increasing,” Torres said. “Actually, not only from the AFP but other agencies under the NTF-WPS (National Task Force on West Philippine Sea) also. So we will be more active with more engagements.”
Patrol partners
Moreover, Torres said there was also a plan to enlist and utilize fishermen in the area as maritime auxiliary forces.
“We will engage them to become our partners in patrolling. Of course we will not use them in our operations but we will support them in their activities. They will undergo some trainings where we will establish proper protocols for communication and coordination,” he stated.
Kalayaan Vice Mayor Maurice Philip Alexis Albayda said the landmark ruling of the arbitral tribunal now forms an important part of the Philippines’ history.
Albayda said that while to some the ruling might just be a piece of paper, it is now being used by international arbitration courts to settle disputes.
“It is a jurisprudence of international law, being used by Permanent Courts of Arbitration in some cases,” he said.
Palawan Provincial Board Member Ferdinand Zaballa, on the other hand, stressed the fight from WPS is far from over in the nine years that the arbitral ruling has been handed down, with China refusing to abide by it.
Zaballa authored Provincial Ordinance No. 3498, declaring July 12 of every year as West Philippine Sea Victory Day in celebration of the arbitral tribunal ruling.
This year’s celebration included a motorcade and fun bike ride from the Wescom headquarters here and a parade from San Miguel Barangay Hall going to the Palawan Capitol, where a program was held.
He encouraged every Filipino citizen to get involved in the fight for WPS, adding that what everybody needed is the right information about it.
“Every citizen should get involved especially on social media to share what is right and what are positive responses about WPS, on what we are fighting for,” he said.
He stressed: “This fight is far from over. I don’t think this can be resolved in our lifetime. But if we don’t talk about it now, I don’t know what will happen.”