With less than 100 days in office, President Benigno Aquino III has created a high-level task force that would synchronize a “unified” government action in protecting the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
In Memorandum Circular No. 94, the President has assigned the National Security Adviser to chair the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea with several government departments and security agencies as members.
The formation of the high-level task force came amid the country’s protest against China’s aggressive reclamation activities to assert its claims in the West Philippine Sea. Manila is still waiting for a decision of the UN tribunal on its petition asserting maritime entitlements in the disputed territory.
“Consistent with the Constitution, the Philippines’ interests in the West Philippine Sea include the maintenance and protection of Philippine sovereignty, preservation and defense of territorial integrity, and promotion of the welfare and well-being of the Filipino people,” the circular read.
“Given the country’s national interest, national policies and evolving strategic lands, a more deliberate and coherent approach in addressing the West Philippine Sea issue is needed for the purpose of orchestrating the national effort an achieving unified action in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.
The President acknowledged that the issues and actions required in the WPS transcend maritime security domain since these extend to other areas of concern such as “diplomatic, politico-legal, information, military and law enforcement, and socio-economic fields.”
Members of the new task force include the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Finance, and National Economic and Development Authority.
Other task force members are the National Coast Watch System, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
In the MC 94 signed last March 17, the new task force will receive guidance from the President though the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice and Peace.
It will also be responsible in orchestrating and sychronizing the employment of the different national government agencies’ capabilities to achieve the national objectives in the WPS. Regular reports will be submitted to the President through the cabinet security cluster.
The same circular created an Area-level Task Force that will coordinate the efforts of the different government agencies at the area level. Tactical-level Task Forces (TTs) may also be organized to perform mandates with the direction from the ATF.
The President also directed government agencies and local government units to render support and cooperation to the new task force.
Source and image: Manila Bulletin
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