Obama: US will hand over two ships to PH Navy

US President Barack Obama arrives in the Philippines for the APEC Summit. (Photo from @apec2015ph)

MANILA – United States President Barack Obama disclosed that the US will provide two vessels to the Philippine Navy to help boost its maritime capabilities.

“I can announce that we intend to transfer two additional ships to the Philippine Navy – a research vessel to help man out its territorial waters and another Coast Guard cutter to bolster the Navy’s ability to conduct long endurance patrols,” Obama said, adding that this move was part of the US’ assistance to naval forces in Southeast Asia.

The US President, who travelled to the Philippines to attend this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, stated that the US will also provide $250-million worth of maritime security assistance to its allies in Asia.

“More capable navies and partnership with the United States are critical for the security of this region,” he said, stressing that the US-Philippine alliance remained ‘unbreakable.

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“The United States has been committed to the security of this region for more than 70 years. We have a treaty obligation, ironclad commitment to the defense of our ally the Philippines,” he added.

It can be noted that the Philippines, together with other Asian countries, has been engaged with China in a territorial dispute involving several potentially oil-and-gas rich reefs at the South China Sea.

Although not a claimant in the contested region, the US was committed to free and safe navigation at sea. It then called on countries to observe the rule of law governing international waters and settle the issue in a diplomatic way.