00:52.5
Then kasama na dyan yung Ayungin.
00:55.7
Yung Ayungin through the BID.
00:58.2
So yung status ko nung rotation sa pag-asa and other outposts, walang problema doon.
01:08.2
Pero kung ipe-prevent mo yung pag-repair ng PRP Sierra Madre,
01:15.1
e detrimental to our interests yun kasi nga, ano na siya eh, dilapidated na yung barko
01:22.4
at pagkahindi yan na-repair ng maaari.
01:28.2
Ayos, eh talagang ano na yan, baka isang typhoon na lang yan, it would be swept away.
01:34.7
Pagka nawala yan dyan, therefore, pwede na nilang dapaan niyang Ayungin na yan to prevent yung outpost.
01:44.4
Ngayon, ilalagay lang natin yung history niyan, bakit ba natin sinadsad yan?
01:49.2
Sinadsad natin yan in response dun sa pagkuhan nila ng mischief reef.
01:55.6
Diba, mischief reef, una.
01:58.2
Naglagay sila ng fisherman's shelter, tapos eventually nilagyan na nila ng base.
02:07.2
So in response, ito ngayon, yung Arab administration, nagsadsad sila ng PRP Sierra Madre.
02:13.3
I was still in the Navy then, kaya alam ko yung surrounding circumstances noon.
02:20.0
Maraming mga options na nilatag noon in response dun sa ginawa nila sa mischief reef.
02:28.2
Pero ultimately, they ended up with deliberately running aground dito ang PRP Sierra Madre.
02:37.7
Pero ang nakita ko lang na bago nito, noona yung rotation, mga Navy, ano yan, personnel lang nandyan dyan, may officer pa.
02:46.1
So yung maintenance ng barko, ano yan eh? Inherent yan sa Philippine Navy personnel.
02:53.3
Yung pagre-repair ng deck, pag-maintain ng naval guns, yung communication sequence.
02:58.2
But then, during that GMA administration, they decided, I don't know kung sinong mga leaders noon, na they decided palitan yung Navy personnel ng mga Marine personnel.
03:16.1
Yung Marines, ano yan sila sa, sabi ko nga, sa digmaan, maasahan mo sila.
03:22.6
But they don't have any idea on how to maintain a Navy ship.
03:28.2
So, simula noon, wala na, napabayaan na.
03:33.0
Kasi, nung Navy pa lang yung nandodoon, naka-assign doon, kahit nakasadsad siya, they were operating as though this was a regularly commissioned Navy ship.
03:46.1
So, yung may re-repair, may re-repaint yung deck, nakinakalawang, ano siya, as thorough yung maintenance niya as the ships na nandodoon sa Cavite Naval Base.
03:58.2
Pero nung tinanggal na, ito na ngayon, na dilapidated na talaga siya, napapabayaan na siya.
04:04.7
Kaya, ang initial suggestion ko dyan, mag-redeploy tayo ng Navy personnel dyan, yung mga bosom smith rating na tinatawag namin, those who are adept at maintaining the deck, the ship.
04:20.1
So, kaya nilang i-repair yan. Would you believe, Richard, pagka binalik mo yan sa Navy with the proper...
04:28.2
Logistical support, they can bring that back to, ano, almost original state.
04:36.0
Kaya nila yan, kahit nandodoon sa gitna ng ayungin.
04:39.3
Kasi that's the maintenance culture of the Philippine Navy.
04:44.2
Sir, I really appreciate this. Kasi parati kong iniisip. Kasi I give talks doon sa iba-ibang branch ng AFP.
04:51.4
Yung isang time sa mga Marines naman, sabi niya, Sir, actually kami yung nagbabantay dyan.
04:56.0
O nga, no. Sabi ko, yeah, Marines.
04:58.2
So, I was wondering, what is, ano yung kasaysayan na yung Marines ay nandun, hindi yung Philippine Navy?
05:03.4
So, thank you so much for explaining that, which I think is a perfect segue, no?
05:07.5
Because the next thing I want to talk about is itong quadrilateral patrols.
05:11.2
Finally, nangyayari yan. Of course, may ibang mga ex-Duterte official na senador ngayon na re-electionist
05:18.4
nagta-take credit dito sa quadrilateral summit na yan.
05:22.3
Kasi na-mention daw niyan last year. And I was saying, actually, mini-mention namin lahat yan for 6-7 years.
05:28.2
Dahil lang sa dating boss mo, hindi nangyayari yan. So, it has nothing to do with you.
05:32.1
But anyway, putting aside itong mga antics ng mga ex-Duterte official, now suddenly matapang na sa West Philippine Sea.
05:38.8
Anong ambag ng itong quadrilateral patrols na yan and other things na inisip natin?
05:44.9
Because, let me be very honest about this. I'm a little bit annoyed with the patronizing tone coming from some of the American experts and officials na
05:54.7
tulungan natin mga Pilipino, kailangan nila ng joint patrols.
05:58.2
I see the point of stronger military cooperation and all. Pero katulad ng sinabi nyo kanina, kayang-kayang naman natin gawin yan.
06:05.4
We can fortify this on our own. Mas malalaki tayong mga barko. We haven't used the best of the best yet.
06:15.5
Logistically, what is your suggestion here? Should the Philippines also do joint resupply with the US?
06:21.2
Should the Americans have drones in the area all the time? Or corvettes or frigates?
06:26.7
How can our allies be?
06:28.2
How can our allies be more useful? And how can we make sure China doesn't harass us the way they have done?
06:31.9
Kasi, ang tanong ko rin dito sa inyo, Senator Trillian, is that for a long time, from the time you did your own backdoor negotiations with China to this gentleman's agreement, etc. under Digong,
06:42.9
China has not fired a shot. I mean, as far as guns go or cannons go. But itong mga water canoning nila is increasingly lethal.
06:51.8
Kaya ang suggestion ko naman, sabi ko ito sa gobyerno, i-compare nyo yung punching power ni Mike Tyson.
06:58.2
So, people realize, lethal ito. It's almost lethal. So, what are the options we have? What is the best way for us to assert our rights there without being harassed or do it best?
07:08.2
And at the same time, make sure we get help from our allies.
07:11.1
Okay. Marami, maraming pwedeng gawin. Pero kasi, intindihan natin, kung ang objective ng Marcos administration is to draw international attention, kasi talagang if you charter a wooden ship,
07:28.2
talagang bubug-bugin siya na that way, no? But, kung gusto mo ng, ano, kung ipapadala mo yung white ships mo, yung Coast Guard vessels mo na medyo malaki-laki,
07:39.6
eh kaya naman i-withstand yung water cannons na yon. Kasi they were designed, actually, to withstand mga typhoons. Diba? Eh yun lang, water cannon, kaya yon.
07:52.0
Ngayon, another way is pwede kayong makipagbombahan ang water cannon doon.
07:58.2
Diba? Meron din yung Coast Guard, which is what the Japanese Coast Guard did during the Senkaku standoff. Pero para na kayong mga batang nagwa-water gun, ano, diba? Battle.
08:11.0
Ano yun eh? There's nothing to be achieved there. Kaya nga, depende yun sa focus or purpose ng Marcos administration.
08:19.9
If it's to draw international attention kung paano nang bubuli yung China, well, they were able to achieve it. Diba?
08:28.2
They were able to achieve that. Kasi kung Coast Guard vessel dadali mo dyan, kahit na ano yan, eh, ano yun eh, kayang-kaya yon, barco.
08:37.1
So, hindi kagano makakagain ng sympathy. Diba? Pero dahil doon, diba, if it's really by design, ito ngayon, nakadraw ka ng mga international coalition to, ano, at least help us, support us.
08:55.2
Then, itong na-mention mo na Quad Patrols, ito naman, parang ano lang ito eh. This is just to give China an idea na we're not alone in this. Diba?
09:07.8
Pwede yan, yung Freedom of Navigation Patrols operations. Pero malayo yan, eh, yung pinaggawa ng, pinagpatrolya ng Quad doon sa Ayungin.
09:18.8
Now, if for, if we would send our grey ships doon.
09:25.2
Doon sa Ayungin to resupply. Ano ito? Kumbaga, pwede mong gawin yan. Pero kailangan kakalkuliti mo din ano ba yung magiging response nila.
09:37.2
So, pataasin ng pataas yan. Escalate ng escalate yan. So, until magkakaroon ka ng standoff, then doon ka ngayon. Babalik ka doon sa situation doon sa 2012 na, ano yun, depende na yun sa kausap.
09:51.2
Pero, I believe the 20, the back channel.
09:55.2
So, the approach that worked in 2012 may not work this time around because, again, of the foreign policy shift of the Xi Jinping administration, which is ano na, open expansion na.
10:11.6
At ano na sila, parang bordering road state na sila, eh. Nawala na yung belt and road, ano, diba? Economic, kumbaga, they were trying to change.
10:25.2
They were trying to charm the whole world with their economic might. Pero ito hindi na. Na tipong, sige, we will stand toe to toe with you on this.
10:37.3
Now, yung sinasabi natin, pwede. Another approach is, and I've been suggesting this, pwede naman heliborne yung operations.
10:49.2
Oo. Kahit coast guard ship yan, may heliborne capacity yan.
10:55.2
So, magdadala sila doon, 10 minutes away. Ayungin, they will drop the supplies. Then, ano, eventually nga, pwede tayong maglagay ng helideck dyan sa BRP Sierra Madre.
11:08.6
So, yung rotation, pwede rin ganon through that.
11:15.1
So, pagka ganon kasi ginawa, eh, sino yung maharangan nila? Hindi nila maharang yun.
11:20.0
If they do anything aggressive towards that helicopter.
11:25.2
At mag-crush yun. Aba, iba na yun. Problema nila yun. As you mentioned nga, diba?
11:31.1
Tama ng mutual defense treaty yan. Because very clear ang, at least Trump and Biden, na any attack on our vessels, aircrafts, and soldiers and personnel will activate the mutual defense treaty.
11:41.7
And, kaya nga nakita mo, diba, as you observed, inaano nila, in-skirt nila yung, they're just, bastis, doon lang sa gray zone sila.
11:52.9
Kasi anything beyond the red line, magti-trigger ng mutual defense treaty.
11:58.5
So, maraming ways to resupply.
12:03.8
As I mentioned, pwede nilang gawin itong ginagawa nila. Mag-charter kayo ng wooden ship. Mukha kang underdog talaga.
12:10.3
Pero, itago mo yung mga tao mo para hindi sila masasaktan. Diba?
12:15.0
Pero, gusto mo nang medyo sturdy siya, or all-weather ship, yung coast guard, meron silang ganyang vessels that can withstand.
12:22.9
Typhoons, so kayang-kayang nilang water cannon. And they can proceed, just ignoring the water cannons of China.
12:30.9
Or, they can do what the Japanese did during the Senkaku standoff. Magpotokan sila ng water cannon. Diba?
12:38.7
Or, they can do the Heliborne approach. So, these are just some of the ways na pwedeng gawin without escalating or the tension by the Americans.
12:51.7
By the Americans.
12:52.9
Or, directly the Americans. Kasi, feeling ko medyo ahead of time, medyo advanced mag-isip yung iba na, eh, dapat yung kasama yung U.S. sa resupply.
13:00.8
Ako kasi, ang concern ko dito is, we don't want to come up as Tutan America or masyadong dependent sa America.
13:06.8
Because, I think we're very much capable of doing this on our own.
13:09.8
Tama pang sabi na, medyo malalaki-laki na yung mga coast guard vessels natin. Medyo matinunan rin yung ibang warships natin.
13:15.3
So, in fairness kay Pinoy, and throughout the past decade, medyo nag-modernize naman yung capabilities natin.
13:22.9
So, but siguro the U.S., do you think they should still have an over-the-horizon presence?
13:28.3
Maybe just a frigate in the area or some drone, just in case, to make the Chinese think twice.
13:33.2
I mean, they have been doing that anyway, but even more explicit institutionalized.
13:38.0
Okay. They have been doing that. And, you know why?
13:41.1
Because, ano sila, stakeholders sila doon sa Mutual Defense Treaty.
13:45.4
Kaya binabantayan nila yung ating resupply missions.
13:48.9
Because, they would be able to know, first-hand.
13:52.9
Kung kailangan nilang i-trigger yung Mutual Defense Treaty.
13:56.0
And, yun din ang pinakang-guard mo against over-aggressiveness of China.
14:01.8
To the point na may masasaktan o mamamatay na navy personnel.
14:10.2
Now, let's talk about this upcoming trilateral summit.
14:13.0
Because, one of the things that is expected to be signed shortly after actually trilateral summit
14:19.5
is a Visiting Forces Agreement style deal with Japan.
14:22.1
There's still some debate.
14:22.8
There's still some debate about ano talagang meron dyan.
14:25.1
Some say it's just a reciprocal access agreement.
14:27.4
Officially, that's going to be the term, not a Visiting Forces Agreement.
14:30.2
But, there is a, you know, there are some people are saying that down the road,
14:34.7
baka ang gusto ng Japan magkaroon din ng rotational access sa some of the bases in the Philippines.
14:39.3
Now, we can have a long conversation whether papasa yan sa KO party,
14:42.8
given the constitutionalization in Japan.
14:44.8
But, it looks that's the direction of the wind.
14:47.3
If China keeps on bullying us, how do you feel about, A, itong Japan coming in?
14:52.8
And, potentially, having more direct cooperation with us?
14:55.5
They have done very well in terms of helping us in our Coast Guard capability.
14:59.3
Fumia Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan here in the U.S. just recently said,
15:02.1
we want to be a global partner of the U.S.
15:04.0
Because, I mean, hindi lang robbing to the Batman in Asia.
15:06.7
But, a kind of a, kind of a justify, right?
15:09.1
We want to be part of this kind of a group of people helping.
15:12.6
And then, pagdating sa U.S. naman, I think it's unavoidable to talk about this.
15:16.8
What do you think BBM should do on the Taiwan question?
15:20.5
Because, I think a big priority for Biden.
15:22.8
Would be to, essentially, get the Philippines on board on any Taiwan deterrence strategy.
15:29.4
And, probably, part of that would be more American presence on northern bases natin.
15:33.9
Hindi lang kagaya ni Sabela, maybe in Batanes.
15:36.9
What is your read also at a Taiwan angle?
15:39.7
And, also, Japan coming in.
15:41.1
And, of course, Japan also has an interest in Taiwan.
15:43.0
So, itong trilateral, big part of that is also Taiwan as much as it is West Philippine Sea.
15:48.7
Well, as you correctly observed, ano to eh?
15:52.8
This is mainly for deterrence, no?
15:55.0
And, as to the Philippines' involvement in any potential Taiwan conflict.
16:02.4
And, I think we're already there, no?
16:05.5
With the EDCA bases, no?
16:08.7
In full development mode.
16:12.1
And, dyan na yan, no?
16:13.3
Siguro, by next year, fully operational na yan.
16:18.5
Yan yung deterrence.
16:19.4
Or, at least, it will help China.
16:22.8
Think twice or thrice before crossing that red line.
16:27.6
Kasi, meron nang magsosupport ng any upsurge in military operations ng US.
16:35.0
Now, yung Japan, yung Visiting Forces Agreement with Japan.
16:39.3
So, ibig sabihin, as a partner nga, no?
16:41.2
Kasi, we have to understand.
16:43.0
Kasi, yung US Navy, ano na to?
16:47.1
Medyo stretched na sila, eh, no?
16:50.4
Some of the surface.
16:52.8
Some of the surface assets of Japan.
16:55.9
So, para lang mas masanay kung magpapatrol dito, eh, meron din silang protection sa kanilang mga troops through this Visiting Forces Agreement.
17:06.1
And, remember, Japan, bago pa lang ito, kumaga, coming out, ano?
17:11.4
Coming out period niya to.
17:13.5
Kasi, dati, di ba?
17:14.9
Japan, maritime defense force lang sila.
17:17.9
So, internal lang sila.
17:18.9
So, ngayon lang sila naglumalabas ulit.
17:22.8
Venture outside their EEZ and territorial waters.
17:26.9
So, kailangan nilang, ano rin, matrain yung kanilang mga sailors into having joint operations with other navies.
17:38.9
Para malaman nila yung mga replenishment at sea, at iba't ibang evolutions na ginagawa ng mga fleets, ano?
17:49.4
Operational capacity building, eh.
17:52.8
So, kung ano yun, kailangan nila ng exercises niyan, di ba?
17:58.7
Meron allied tactical procedures yan.
18:01.7
Yung mga flags, yung mga symbols, kailangan nilang gawin yan, ano?
18:06.6
Although, parang antiquated na yung ganong approach, but during times na magkakaroon ng, kumaga, mag-shutdown yung inyong electronic capability,
18:21.4
eh, meron pa rin kayo.
18:22.8
So, ano yun, ano yung basics ng...
18:27.2
So, ano yan, magbe-benefit yung Japan dan, at magbe-benefit din yung Pilipinas dito.
18:33.8
We're not being drawn into any war here.
18:37.6
Ang ginagawa lang natin, di ba?
18:39.9
If somebody needs help, historically, yung Pilipinas nagre-responde.
18:44.7
In the same vein, nung tayo naman nang ilangan ng tulong, tinulungan din naman tayo.
18:51.3
We just recently...
18:52.8
We celebrated yung araw ng kagitingan.
18:57.2
Maalala natin, di ba?
18:58.8
Nung na-occupy na tayo ng Japan, yung US actually had the option to leapfrog over the Philippines
19:07.9
and go direct to the islands closer to Japan.
19:12.0
But then, it was through the commitment of General Douglas MacArthur na...
