By Izza Reynoso
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Naval commands tasked with West Philippine Sea (WPS) security are making the “necessary adjustments” following the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) shift in focus to “external defense,” a Philippine Navy official said Friday.
In a media briefing, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said the strategic shift towards external defense had placed the Philippine Navy at the forefront of this transition.
In particular, he said the Western Command (Wescom) in Puerto Princesa City and the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) in Tarlac have become central in leading the “external defense” transition.
Wescom oversees the WPS, while Nolcom manages Bajo de Masinloc, the northern islands of Batanes province, and Benham Rise.
Trinidad noted that continuous efforts are being made to improve maritime patrol operations in the WPS, with the goal of bolstering the nation’s sovereignty and territorial entitlements.
“Here in Palawan, Wescom and, of course, the Naval Forces West (Navforwest), are focused on our nine island detachments. Because we have troops here, we need to regularly support them, resupply them, rotate them. We have a mandate to ensure that our sovereignty and our sovereign rights are not violated,” he said.
Besides ongoing efforts to upgrade the Navy’s capabilities, he said infrastructure improvements, particularly on Pag-asa Island in Palawan, are in progress to boost their usefulness to the military and ensure the safety of fisherfolk.
Furthermore, he said that under the new operational strategy, the Navy can assume control over the ocean assets of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, as well as boats and aircraft belonging to local government units, “if and when the situation calls for it.”
“The Philippine Navy is committed to demonstrating a strong stance on protecting our sovereignty in the WPS,” Trinidad said.
The strategic shift towards external defense is aimed at broadening the country’s military reach to safeguard areas of national interest, in line with constitutional mandates. (PNA)
