General Romeo Brawner of the Philippine armed forces highlighted ongoing tensions with China, citing aggressive actions against Filipino fishermen and Coast Guard personnel in the South China Sea.
Every day, Manila faces China‘s “bullying tactics,” General Romeo Brawner, chief of staff of the armed forces of The Philippines, told TIMES NOW. Yes, he said, Russia and Ukraine are at war as is the United States of America-Israel alliance against Iran, but the Philippines also experiences “some kind of conflict with a superpower, which is China… They drive away our fisherfolks, they water-cannon our Coast Guard…because of their claim to the whole South China Sea through their Nine-Dash Line. And that Nine-Dash Line goes well within the Exclusive Economic Zone of The Philippines…It is not just in Ukraine, in Israel, in Iran, it is even here in the Indo-Pacific region…we are feeling that in the South China Sea as well as in the East China Sea,” he said.
The General added that even when his country went to court and it ruled in favour of The Philippines, China did not accept the verdict. “So, what we are doing now is strengthening our ties with our treaty ally, the USA. And several partners, like-minded nations like Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, India and many other countries.”
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Recent maritime confrontations between the Philippines and China, including the firing of water cannons by Chinese vessels at Filipino ships, have heightened tensions in the South China Sea. The Philippines condemned these aggressive actions, asserting its rights to operate in the area, which is crucial for its fishermen. This conflict illustrates the ongoing disputes over territorial claims in the resource-rich waters, as both nations accuse each other of illegal actions.
But the wars could embolden China, he felt, to be more aggressive. “That is a possibility. It could embolden them (China) to, for instance, finally do what they really wanted to do with Taiwan. But I also believe that it could be a deterrent because of the actions, the swift actions of the United States. The Philippines is a treaty ally of the USA. Taiwan is an ally of the USA. So, now that they’re seeing the actions of the USA against Venezuela, against Iran, this could serve as a deterrent, in fact,” he added.
More BrahMos Missiles From India
General Brawner said the Philippines was considering acquiring more BrahMos cruise missiles from India. “The Philippines is the first country outside India that is now using the BrahMos. And, because of our example, other countries are now wanting to buy the BrahMos, like Indonesia… We’re very happy because it’s the first missile system that we have that serves as a deterrent for any country that wants to, let’s say, invade The Philippines, control our seas. We have that capability that serves as a deterrent and we’re very happy,” he said, adding that the third batch of the missile system was to be delivered.
General Brawner also spoke of closer ties with India. During his meeting with General Anil Chauhan, the chief of defence staff, he had spoken of India sending warships to the South China Sea so that they could sail with Philippine Navy warships “in the South China Sea during freedom of navigation operations.” The warships arrived four months later. The General also said that New Delhi has “accommodated” his army’s officers and cadets in training institutions in India.
