Voluntary Background Briefing of the Philippines on Its Measures to Enhance Maritime Security

VOLUNTARY BACKGROUND BRIEFING OF THE PHILIPPINES ON ITS MEASURES TO ENHANCE MARITIME SECURITY

Being one of the largest archipelagoes in the world, with long and porous coastlines stretching to about 36,000 km, the Philippines recognizes that maritime security is one of the key factors towards attaining national and regional security.

The Philippines is therefore concerned over the increasing number of piracy incidents at sea and the threats they pose to the safety of seafarers and to the freedom of navigation. The Philippines also recognizes the threat posed to its economy by commercial goods smuggling.

And then there’s maritime terrorism. JI operatives have expanded their travel routes in and out of the porous borders of the country. Terrorists are also devising a way to attack a vessel while it is underway. Clearly, the vessel is most vulnerable in the high seas. The probability of a seaborne attack is bolstered by reports that elements of the ASG and Balik Islam extremists are training in scuba diving techniques and underwater demolition.

In view of these threats, the Philippines is now finalizing the National Action Plan (NAP) to Combat Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships. The draft NAP incorporates the commitment of the Philippines in Regional Cooperation Agreement on Anti-Piracy in Asia, the ISPS Code and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

We have also liaised with regional and international organizations to enforce laws concerning crimes in the high seas. Several countries, most are represented here, are helping us in capacity-building, training, and providing equipment to detect WMD that may enter or transit the country. Intelligence exchanges, the local TaskForceSea Marshal, which secure the inter-island shipping sector, and adoption of best practices in maritime security are also being undertaken. In October 2005, we joined the Proliferation Security Initiative and we look forward to the trainings and exercises under this multilateral effort.

Moreover, our Department of National Defense has initiated the Coast Watch South or CWS, which aims to be the initial launching pad for the inter-agency national maritime situational awareness architecture. CWS will focus on the enhancement of our ability to monitor the transit of people and goods in the Celebes and SulawesiSeas.

Coast Watch South is primarily a monitoring, control, and surveillance system. The MCS system is comprised of three components. First is the existing cross border and border patrol agreements between the Philippines and its immediate neighboring countries of Indonesia and Malaysia. These bilateral agreements provide for a system of control for the entry of vessels and security of the border areas of our respective countries against smuggling, piracy, and other illegal activities.Operational measures that can be adopted using our existing bilateral arrangements will be the subject of a meeting later this month among the navies of the three countries to be hosted by the Philippine Navy.

The second component of CWS is the coordination of PN maritime patrols with the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippine National Police Maritime Group in order to generate more information without putting additional strains in our already tight budgets.

The last component of the CWS concept is the Philippine Navy operations network of Coast Watch Stations equipped with radar and other monitoring devices along international sea lanes and critical areas/chokepoints within the country’s territorial waters.