Government crafting guidelines for joint patrols  

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is crafting guidelines on joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

“GPH (Government of the Philippines) is in the process of crafting guidelines for the conduct of combined maritime activities in the WPS, including joint patrols,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.

According to Daza, operational details, including the possibility of engaging other countries will be part of discussions between the Philippines and the United States within the framework of the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board.

Australia and the Philippines are in talks for launching joint maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea after Australian Deputy Prime Minister and defense chief Richard Marles arrived in Manila last week to seek deeper security relations between the two countries.

Marles said he had discussed joint patrolling with Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

He said the two countries are “looking at ways in which we can pursue joint patrols together in the South China Sea and looking at ways in which we can do more exercises together.”

A Reuters report said Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed the Philippines is in talks to possibly include Australia and Japan in planned South China Sea patrols with the US.

If the plan materializes, this will be the first time the Philippines joins multilateral maritime patrols in the South China Sea, a move likely to anger Beijing which claims most of the sea as its territory.