DND denies plan for US command post in Palawan

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense denied yesterday reports that the United States is planning to establish an advance Marine command post in Palawan facing the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) amid a territorial dispute in the area.

In a report last Tuesday, Kyodo News Service quoted an unnamed Philippine officer as saying that the US is planning to station 50 to 60 Marines in Palawan “as an advance command post in the region.”

Kyodo reported that the plan would also involve the conversion of a 246-hectare Philippine Marine Corps reservation in Samariniana town into a joint marine operational command.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin denied the report.

“No, this was never discussed in our meetings,” Gazmin told The STAR in a text message.

Asked if the US would post troops in Palawan together with Philippine forces, Gazmin replied, “Only during training and exercise.”

The two countries conduct joint military exercises several times every year in different parts of the Philippines. Since 2002, several hundred US troops have been deployed on three- to six-month tours of duty in Zamboanga City, where they have set up an encampment, with offices and quarters fashioned out of retrofitted shipping containers, inside a Philippine military base. The Americans assist Philippine troops in training and intelligence gathering, mostly for counterterrorism.

There are reports that this US facility will be shut down within months and US forces will move to Palawan.

Washington has said it no longer wants to set up permanent bases overseas.

Kyodo, quoting the unnamed officer, said the 1.1-kilometer airstrip inside the Marine reservation would be extended to 2.4 kilometers “to accommodate big US military transport planes.”

The officer said construction work will begin in September in time for the annual Philippine-US amphibious landing exercise in Palawan and the US Marines will hire Filipino contractors to do the construction work.

Kyodo also reported that aside from Samariniana, the US military is also looking at developing joint “operational bases” in other parts of Palawan, including Oyster Bay, Ulugan Bay, Macarasca town, Puerto Princesa City, Tarumpitao Point in Rizal and San Vicente town.

According to the source, Palawan was just one of the areas identified by Manila and Washington “where US Marines will train in rotating deployment.”

The officer reportedly said that several military facilities in Luzon and Mindanao have also been “opened for access” for US troops.

Diplomatic and military sources said the US specifically wants more access to airfields and ports for “servicing and maintenance,” including refueling and repair of US aircraft and ships.

The same sources said the number of US troops that will be rotated in the country will be between 4,000 to 4,500, including Marines based in Okinawa, Japan, according to Kyodo.

Philippine security officials said a Philippine Marine brigade headquarters may be put up in Palawan.

Lt. Col. Neil Estrella, spokesman for the Palawan-based Armed Forces Western Command, said they are realigning their troops to support those involved in internal and territorial defense operations.

“It is not an expansion but it is more of realigning troops to support the requirement. The support (the battalions) need should come from a brigade. A brigade has armor, artillery and support units,” Estrella said.

With regard to the reported plan to expand the airstrip in Palawan, Estrella said there has always been a plan to develop the facility.

“Our airport can accommodate 20 to 22 flights a day. There are plans to develop the airport but not for military use,” he said.

The US announced plans to boost its presence in the Asia Pacific last January amid the aggressive expansion activities of China.

Beijing has repeatedly warned Washington to stay out of territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, saying US involvement would only complicate the issue.

The US has said it is not taking sides in the territorial row but stressed the need to uphold freedom of navigation and to settle the disputes peacefully. – With Alexis Romero