West Philippine Sea: Teodoro defends US missile’s extended stay in PH

Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. | FILE PHOTO/Department of National Defense

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday shrugged off the objections of other countries about the extended stay of the Typhon midrange capability (MRC) missile in the country.

The MRC is a unit of the ground-based missile system capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles.

Teodoro said that if other countries feel uncomfortable with Manila bolstering its deterrent capabilities, they should lead by example and dismantle their ballistic missiles and nuclear armaments.

READ: Army spox: US missile system to be removed from PH by Sept

“It seems to me that before other countries interfere with the creation of our credible defense posture, they should first stop their illegal activities, get out of the West Philippine Sea, take away their ballistic capabilities, destroy their nuclear arsenal,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview in World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Teodoro said such actions are in line with the government’s Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Posture which aims to protect the country against incursions in its exclusive economic zones, particularly in the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise.

“We will do what needs to be done to create a credible deterrent posture,” he also said.

The MRC arrived in the country from the United States on April 11 and was first used during its bilateral war games with the country.

READ: PH: No live fire drills for US-made Typhon midrange capability missile

The Philippine Army said the MRC was used for the bilateral Army drills between Manila and Washington, which was already finished on Sept. 22.

However, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the MRC will stay in the country until further notice as both countries conduct evaluations if it will be used in future drills.

In August, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo  said his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi told him that the presence of the MRC in the country is “destabilizing”, according to a BenarNews report.

In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said Moscow would resume the production of intermediate-and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles, citing the US deployment of the MRC missile system to the Philippines.