February 12, 2024 | NEWS DIGEST
By API Desk | Date 02-12-2024
Philippines plans defense post in Germany
The Philippines plans to assign a resident defense and armed forces attache to Berlin to broaden and deepen security relations with Germany.
This was announced by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro during a courtesy call meeting with German Federal Parliament member Johann Wadephul at Camp Aguinaldo. Wadephul is also a member of Germany’s delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Both parties discussed common security challenges affecting both the Philippines and Germany, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the larger South China Sea (SCS) issue, the ongoing war in Ukraine, energy security, and climate change.
Teodoro expressed appreciation for Germany’s firm support to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while Wadephul brought up Germany’s policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific, which puts emphasis on promoting a rules-based international order.
Czech Republic offers training aircraft to the Philippines
The Czech Republic has offered to sell a squadron of L-39NG turbofan aircraft as a training or transition plane to much faster multi-role fighters, like the US F16s, as it reiterated it support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program.
The offer was among topics discussed with Czech Ambassador Karel Hejč who led a delegation from the Czech defense ministry during a meeting with Philippine security officials.
Hejč also expressed keenness to pursue government-to-government cooperation, explore joint manufacturing arrangements, and offer financing options for potential projects.
The Czech delegation said the L-39NG would be suitable for training Filipino pilots to fly multi-role fighters and to patrol the disputed West Philippine Sea. So far, only Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian country that operates L-39NGs since 2021.
US, Philippines hold third joint sail in disputed waters
Two naval warships from the Philippine Navy and from the US Navy recently held day-long joint sail in the disputed waters in the South China Sea, as part of the Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA).
Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said this was the third time the two navies sailed within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, challenging China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
“This latest bilateral activity underscores both nations’ firm commitment to reinforcing security and stability across the Indo-Pacific region,” Carlos said in a press statement.
The MCA is part of a series of operations designed to foster enhanced interoperability between the Philippines and the United States, with a concentrated focus on advancing maritime security and heightening maritime domain awareness.
Soldiers kill two Maoist-led rebels in Leyte
Troops from the Army’s 93rd Infantry Battalion killed two top leaders of the Communist New People’s Army (NPA) in a brief firefight in Leyte, a military spokesman said.
Major Kaharudin Cadil, civil-military operations officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, said two rebels – Rolando Caballera, alias Chow or Brooks, and Crispolo Agunos Jr, alias Brix or Darwin were killed in a 15 minute clash in Brgy Tinag-an, Albuera town in Leyte.
Cadil in a press statement said that Cabalera was a member of the executive comittee while and Agunos was a member of team 2, platoon 2, both of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.
The military said only 11 guerilla fronts remained with a little over 2,000 armed fighters nationwide.The Communist New People’s Army has been waging a protracted guerrilla warfare to overthrow the government, killing over 40,000 people and stunting growth of the resource-rich rural areas in the country.