Illusion

For ordinary Filipinos the huge US Missle Destroyers anchored at Puerto Princesa is seem like Uncle Sam coming to the aid of Juan dela Cruz. At first glance, it does seem like the US had made the decision to provide operational support to the Philippines in the simmering row over the Spratlys. Throw in the subtle rhetoric from the US State department and you have the illusion of strong US support over the dispute.

But then thats what it really is. An illusion. An attractive and useful one at that for both the US and the PHL. On one end, it provides hope for the majority of Filipinos having to confront the reality of their military's incapacity to protect the country's territorial claims. More importantly it diminishes pressure on the current administration to do something over the reports of encroachment, harrassment and outright arrogance of both the Vietnamese and Chinese Navy in the area.

For the United States, the exercises have the colloraly perception that it is indeed fulfilling its obligations as a treaty ally.

Sadly the CARAT exercises which have been held annually since the mid 1990's is nothing more than a thinly veiled excuse to ensure US Forces in the region are ready for any eventuality. In the simplest of terms it means the US want to keep their military doing all manners of drills and shuttling their military hardware across the region rather than have their sailors and marines getting fat and lazy in their major bases in Okinawa and Hawaii.

While covering the non essential facets of the exercise in Palawan this month, I noticed both the Americans and the Philippine military bending over backward just to make it painfully clear that the activities had absolutely no relation to the brewing tensions over the Spratlys.

Someone inside the military told me, the US doesnt even want video or pictures of US and PHL troops operating side by side with firearms to be shown in tv or newspaper reports. The US is taking exceptional care not to ruffle the feathers of China or the other belligerent claimnant Vietnam.

Most importantly, that portion of the exercise where both US Navy Missle Destroyers will be conducting maneuvers with aging PHL Navy ships is strictly off-limits to media. My source say this was a specific condition laid down by their US counterparts.

Lt Commander Mike Morley of the US Navy who acts as spokesman for the US side explains it is their policy not to have media cover the at-sea phase to avoid the responsibility of having civilians around during the naval drills.
That the media people will be onboard the PHL Navy ships and not the US vessels make little difference in light of this policy.

Which ofcourse is entirely consistent with US military policy when they embed media in similar dangerous situations like say the invasion of Iraq, the first gulf war and the conquest of Afghanistan.

As I told Morley over dinner one night "Its your job to state the official facts and it is medias job to try and read between the lies..err the lines."

As for the much publicized claim of extensive oil deposits in the region, it is hard to believe that a nation willing to go to war with two countries like Afghanizstan and Iraq to secure oil reserves would overlook such a thing sitting under their noses for the greater part of the 21st century. Chances are they have already looked and have either found out that there is none or if there is, it is much to deep underground to be of any commercial interest.