EDITORIAL - No fighting force

In August 1965, the Philippines became the envy of its Southeast Asian neighbors when it became the first country in the region to acquire supersonic F-5A Freedom Fighter jets from the United States.

Yesterday the first Filipino to pilot the F-5, Angel Okol, now a 75-year-old retired brigadier general of the Philippine Air Force, saluted the four remaining fighter jets as they were officially decommissioned, leaving the PAF without a single fighter aircraft. For air defense, the country will have to rely on six S211 trainer jets – dubbed "widow makers" following a series of fatal crashes.

The noisy militant groups and politicians promoting the communist agenda will shed no tears over the loss of a few more military aircraft. But any self-respecting nation should hang its head in shame for having an air force that has come to be described as all air and no force. Military aircraft are used not just to hunt down communists engaged in extortion and other forms of banditry, but also to find Islamist terrorists and protect the country’s territorial integrity.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has many other functions apart from fighting enemies of the state or defending the country from external threats. But the AFP is so woefully lacking in equipment that it cannot even chase away Chinese troops that have set up a garrison on a reef within spitting distance of Palawan. Poachers continue to steal Philippine marine resources, including endangered species such as sea turtles. Lacking aircraft and naval vessels, the AFP cannot patrol the extensive coastline of the archipelago, making the country a haven for Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists, smugglers, drug dealers and human traffickers.

Unable to build up national defense following the shutdown of the US bases in 1992, the Philippines has been reduced to accepting used military helicopters donated by the Royal Thai Air Force, begging the Americans for military aid, and refurbishing old aircraft, ships and even artillery. During military exercises in the region, Philippine participation is limited to observation.

Since the shutdown of the US bases, there has been a great deal of noise about AFP modernization. But today the country does not even have enough funds to keep four 40-year-old F-5 jets airworthy. We keep telling foreigners to stay out of Philippine internal affairs, especially security matters. Yet we refuse to invest in building a credible defense capability.