US Navy: Philippines to join Pacific naval exercises | ABS-CBN

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US Navy: Philippines to join Pacific naval exercises

US Navy: Philippines to join Pacific naval exercises

John Gabriel Agcaoili,

ABS-CBN News

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 Warships participate in the
Warships participate in the "ANNUALEX 2021" exercises conducted by the US, Japanese, Australian, German and Canadian navies in the Philippine Sea in November 2021. Photo courtesy of the US Navy/File

MANILA – The US Navy announced in a statement on Wednesday (Manila time) that it will host the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, from June 30 to August 4 around the Hawaiian islands and southern California.

The Philippines and 25 other countries are expected to join the drills, added the US Navy, which called the gathering the “world’s largest international maritime exercise.”

Other countries that will be joining are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.

The US Navy Third Fleet said the war games will provide "unique training opportunity designed to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s interconnected oceans."

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"Participating nations and forces will exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting," it said.

"The relevant, realistic training program includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as counter-piracy operations, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations."

Countries that will join the naval exercises will "train and operate together in order to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific," the US Navy fleet said.

"RIMPAC 2022 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict."

The announcement of the extensive naval drills came amid China's rising influence and aggression in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea.

The Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations have disputes with Beijing due to its claims of sovereignty over the hotly-contested waters.

Self-ruled democratic Taiwan is also under constant threat of invasion by China, which views the island as its territory and has vowed to seize it one day, "by force if necessary."

The United States, Japan, India and Australia – all of which are joining RIMPAC 2022, and are members of the Quad bloc – are attempting to build their loose grouping into a more substantive counterweight to China's growing military and economic power in the Indo-Pacific.

The US and its allies have vowed to commit more resources to push back against what they see as Beijing's bid to create a sphere of influence in the region and become the world's most influential power.

They have also framed a tough response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a warning to China, against unilateral military action, particularly against Taiwan.

China, meanwhile, has accused the United States of disrupting peace by creating division in the Indo-Pacific, with Beijing warning against attempts by Washington to boost its alliances in the region.

It rejected US initiatives in the region, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), saying these are tools to contain China that are “doomed to fail."

After President US Joe Biden vowed to defend Taiwan in the event China attempts to take control, Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office accused the United States of "using the 'Taiwan card' to contain China. – With a report from Agence France-Presse

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Baste Duterte blasts Marcos Jr. for ‘pulling PH back to abusive, excessive gov’t’

Baste Duterte blasts Marcos Jr. for ‘pulling PH back to abusive, excessive gov’t’

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA — Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has accused President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., of "pulling the country back into an abusive and excessive government." 

Mayor Duterte is the son of former President Rodrigo Duterte and brother of Vice President Sara Duterte who was impeached by the House of Representatives.

The father and son attended the proclamation rally of senatorial aspirants under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, on Thursday.

“Higit apat na dekada ang nakaraan, nabuo at nanindigan ang PDP Laban upang tutulan ang mapang-abusong rehimeng Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. Ngayon, ang buhay at kinabukasan ng mga Pilipino ay nalalagay na naman sa alanganin. Habang nagsusumikap tayong humakbang patungo sa isang maunlad na bukas ay pilit naman tayong hinihila pabalik ng administrasyon ni Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. sa isang mapang-abuso at mapagmalabis na pamahalaan,” Duterte said in his speech.

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“Minsan na nating naipakita at napatunayan na kaya nating ayusin ang sistema ng ating pamahalaan sa pamumuno ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte,” Mayor Duterte said. “Pinatunayan natin na kaya nating magsilbi sa bayan na may disiplina sa sarili, walang kalabisan at walang pang-aabuso lalo na sa pera ng taumbayan. Huwag sayangin ang mandato na ibinigay sa atin ng ating mga kababayan.”

“Huwag nating sayangin ang mga buhay na itinaya ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino lalo na ng mga pulis at sundalo para lamang maipaglaban ang kapayapaan at kalaayan ng bansa,” he added.

The local chief executive said that they will continue to fight as true members of the party and will not back down for the sake of peace.

Mayor Duterte did not mention anything about the impeachment of his sister.

The former president was also mum about it.

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