Philippine’s Department of National Defence Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino greets US Department of State Ambassador Eric John at the Department of National Defence headquarters in Quezon City.

AFP/Manila


The Philippines and the United States began talks yesterday aimed at allowing a bigger US military presence on the soil of its key Asian ally, amid tensions with China.
The talks aim to draw up rules for more rotational, or temporary, deployments of US forces and military assets in the Philippines.
The Philippines has been looking to the United States for military and political support as part of efforts to protect its claims to South China Sea waters from an increasingly assertive China.
Although officials did not name China yesterday, President Benigno Aquino’s office said a bigger US presence would help to build the Philippine military’s capabilities.
“We want to build up a minimum credible defence. We understand that when the modalities have been thrashed out, it will help towards that,” presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte told reporters.
In a statement on the opening of the talks, the lead Philippine negotiator also highlighted the importance of them to defending the country’s territory.
“We would like to assure the Filipino people that your government is committed to defending and protecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Assistant Foreign Secretary Carlos Sorreta said.
Eric John, a senior US State Department negotiator, is leading the talks for the American side.
The opening round of the talks were for one day. Further rounds are expected in the coming weeks and months. The Philippines has said it wants the deal concluded before the end of the year.
The Philippines had hosted tens of thousands of US soldiers at two bases north of Manila, but they were forced to leave in 1992 after the Senate voted to end their lease contracts amid strong anti-American sentiment.
A new agreement that went into force in 1999 allowed US troops to return to the Philippines for joint military exercises involving several thousand members of the US military every year.
US special forces have also been rotating through the southern Philipines since 2002 to help Filipino soldiers against Islamic militants, with the maximum number there at any one time believed to be about 600.
The envisaged deal would see many more exercises, although the Philippines has insisted it will not allow a permanent US presence. This would require a change to the constitution.
The Philippines has accused China of building its military presence in the South China Sea in recent years.
China claims most of the sea, including waters close to the shores of its neighbours such as the Philippines.
While the United States has insisted it does not take sides in the dispute, it has been seeking to rebuild its military footprint in the Philippines as part of President Barack Obama’s strategic “pivot” to Asia.
Talks were held amid protests by leftist groups warning against foreign interference.
Activists picketed the principal military base in Manila, where the first round of negotiations was being held.
The demonstrators denounced the talks and called on the Philippine government not to give the US military more access to the country, which shut down American air and naval bases more than two decades ago.
They carried placards reading, “Stop selling out Philippine sovereignty by allowing more US troops in the country” and “Fight for genuine freedom. Assert national sovereignty”.
Student protesters also marched to the US embassy, carrying placards with anti-US sentiments and burning a mock American flag that featured skulls instead of stars.
Philippine Defence Undersecretary Honorio Azcueta urged negotiators to do their best to ensure that the framework “will redound to the best interest” of the two countries.
“We begin our negotiation with the end view of coming out with a framework that will further enhance our existing robust defence relations,” he said.
Philippine authorities earlier said the framework would enable the US to keep equipment and develop defence facilities in the country, without violating a constitutional ban on the permanent presence of foreign troops or the establishment of foreign military bases.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa urged Manila to ensure that any boost in its defence relations with Washington would not work against unity and solidarity in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean).
“We have every confidence that the Philippines in developing its traditionally strong relations with the US, will continue to do so within the framework of the Asean spirit,” he said on the sidelines of an Asean meeting in Thailand on the South China Sea disputes.
“We have to be smart about developing relations outside of Asean, but we have to have clear benchmarks on the norms and principles under which they should be working in our region - namely complying with the Asean spirit and complying with Asean centrality,” he said.