Coast guard and fishery officials from the Philippines, the US, Vietnam and Indonesia practiced vessel boarding and arrest techniques at a joint maritime law enforcement training, the US embassy in Manila said yesterday.
The two-week course on the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao comes as part of a regional effort to boost law enforcement cooperation as fears of maritime conflict with China grow. There have been frequent clashes or tense standoffs between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the strategic waterway, as well as recent incidents involving Vietnamese and Indonesian vessels.
“Together, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that our maritime sovereignty remains a zone of peace, safety and prosperity for all,” Philippine Coast Guard District Commander Rejard Marfe said in a statement released by the US embassy.
Photo: AFP
Marfe called the training that took place from Jan. 13 to Friday last week “invaluable in ensuring that we are better equipped to address maritime threats,” although the statement made no mention of China.
The training covered safe vessel boarding at sea, maritime law, evidence collection and preservation, safety and risk mitigation and arrest techniques, the statement said.
The Australian Border Force joined the coast guard, customs enforcers and fisheries surveillance officials at the training as observers.
China has stepped up expansion of its naval forces over the past few years as it seeks to extend its reach in the Pacific Ocean and challenge a US-led alliance.
Over the past few months, China has deployed navy and coast guard vessels to bar the Philippines from strategically important reefs and islands in the South China Sea.
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