Australia donates 28 watercrafts to RP military as SOVFA signing is set

By Ronron
May 29, 2007

The Australian government is donating 28 air boats to the Philippine military later this year following the scheduled signing of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) of both countries later this month.

Defense Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessment Ma. Joji Aragon said the package is worth 4 million US dollars and is expected to start arriving in August or September.

Aragon said the beneficiary is the Philippine Army, but the Armed Forces leadership is allowed to distribute the rest to the Philippine Marines and the Philippine Navy.

“These brand new boats will contribute to the enhancement of the counter-terrorism capability of the Armed Forces,” said Defense Undersecretary for Defense Affairs Antonio Santos.

Aragon and Santos said each boat is capable of carrying six soldiers and three crew members. It has built-in accessories such as Global Positioning System (GPS), hand-held radios, and body armors, among others. It can also be used on shallow waters.

Aragon said the Philippines will spend only for the transport of the boats to the country.

The donation of the air boats falls within the one-year period within which Philippine and Australian forces will engage in education and training exchanges even without the SOVFA, said Aragon.

The line up of activities was arrived at during a two-day meeting beginning Monday at the Defense department between Philippine Defense officials and their Australian counterparts, led by Australian Assistant Secretary for International Police Division-Southeast Asia Ben Coleman.

Aragon said the salient features are trainings on logistics, doctrines development, leadership workshop that will involve the 44 two-star generals of the Philippines, strategic communications workshops, and force-modeling workshop.

These exchanges are on top of the annual education opportunities that Filipino soldiers and officers get from Australia for post graduate courses. The annual academic assistance is worth 4 million Australian dollars.

But Santos said the planned activities within July 2007 to July 2008 may be amended once the SOVFA is already in effect, which he hopes to happen next year, depending on the speed of the work of Congress.

The SOVFA ratification by the President, which is set upon her visit to Australia today (Wednesday) until tomorrow (Thursday), needs a concurrence by Congress, based on Philippine laws.

Australia, for its part, will bring the SOVFA to its Parliament for scrutiny before its Executive Council finally takes action on it.

Both Coleman and Santos refused to respond to questions regarding the conduct of the first exercises, where it could be held, and how many troops it would involve. Both said there is no concept yet at the moment.

Asked if the SOVFA with Australia differs with the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with regard to custody of Australian forces who figures in criminal activities in the country, Santos said: “We don’t want to compare agreements. Maybe, when that is signed, a copy of that will be released and you can answer that for yourselves.”

The transfer of convicted rapist US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith to the US Embassy in December last year by virtue of the VFA sparked complaints from nationalists about the Philippines being placed at a disadvantage in the treaty.

Like the RP-US VFA, the SOVFA between Philippines and Australia will provide a legal framework to the stay of military forces in either countries for the conduct of military exercises and trainings.

Coleman said Australia shares the same interest with the Philippines as far as having a “peaceful and secure region,” particularly, in “dealing with common threats from terrorists in the region.”/DMS