Salceda cool with boosting of military ties between PH, US
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (left), flag of the United States (Facebook, Unsplash)
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda favors the heightened military partnership between the Philippines and the United States (US). "I support the strengthening of military ties between our countries, and I also support our joint effort to modernize the Philippine military," Salceda said Wednesday, July 19. "As I have also repeatedly stated, I also support a clearer stance by the US about the extent to which it will defend the Philippines under its treaty obligations with us," said the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman. The Bicolano made these remarks in the backdrop of results from a recent Pulse Asia survey, which said that 75 percent of Filipinos were in favor "of strengthening the military ties between the US and the Philippines amid the security tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)." The Philippines and US are long-time military allies under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). Salceda also underscored the need for the Philippines to improve its own military. "We need to modernize not only our equipment, but also our doctrine, our personnel training and capability, our intelligence capabilities, as well as our ability to fight asymmetric warfare." The veteran lawmaker said the country’s partnership with Washington is "critical" in this regard. "I have advocated for the acquisition of artillery systems such as the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) as well as air superiority craft such as F-16s for quite some time already, and they are now being used in the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement). We can practice using them, and I believe they will be deployed in US bases here, without us having to buy them. But, we need our own," he said.