By Manny Mogato
(May 3, 2024) – For 2025, the United States may grant $1 billion in military aid to its oldest ally in the Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines, the biggest-ever security package in a single fiscal year since it signed with the Philippines a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in 1951.
Last month, the US Congress approved House Resolution 8036 to make available until September 2025 billions of dollars in supplemental budget to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, including allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Under the House resolution, a $2 billion additional fund was allocated for Foreign Military Financing for 2025. At least a quarter of that funds would go to the Philippines to help improve its creaking and obsolete weapons systems.
The Philippines is among the few states in Southeast Asia that continue to patrol its maritime zones with World War II-era vessels and Vietnam War-vintage aircraft.
It’s first squadron of light fighters and two guided-missile frigates came only during the administration of Benigno Aquino III, decades after the country’s external defense capability was left naked by the departure of the Americans from its two largest overseas military bases in Subic and Clark.
Under Rodrigo Duterte, the air force acquired air defense radars to detect hostile planes, missiles and drones 400 nautical miles away west of its coasts.
This year, India delivered two batteries of mid-range ship-to-shore missiles and Israel installed Spyder surface-to-air tactical missiles to protect critical infrastructures.
These are just baby steps to match the external defense capabilities of other Southeast Asian states. It would be lightyears away from getting at par with China, which has the largest navy and coast guard in the world.
The United States may have fewer ships but quality-wise, it remained ahead toe-to-toe with China. There was also a proposed measure in the US Senate to grant $2.5 billion in military assistance for five years until 2029 under the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act (PERA) of 2024.
If it gets approved, which the Philippine embassy in Washington was confident it will pass because of strong bi-partisan support, it would grant $500 million for 2025.
The Philippines would stand to get at least $1 billion in military aid package under the 2024 supplemental budget and the proposed PERA law, putting at par the country with Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Since its creation after World War II, Israel has been getting annually billions of dollars in military aid to support it from regional enemies, like Iran and Islamist militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Ukraine became important after Russia’s aggression twi years ago and Taiwan became the focus of US security due to China’s determined plan to reunited by the use of force with the self-ruled island.
The Philippines got the US attention as China escalated its coercive actions in the South China Sea, claiming almost the entire strategic waterway.
Admiral John Aquilino, the outgoing commander-in-chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) was seriously worried over China’s next move in the West Philippine Sea after continuousy harassing Philippine public vessels.
Recently, China blasted with water cannons a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and a fisheries boat on a humanitarian mission in Scarborough Shoal, damaging the ships’ navigational equipment and structures.
Last month, it twice blocked, rammed, and water cannoned a wooden supply boat delivering food and water to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
China has also deployed dozens of navy, coast guard and militia vessels in other features in the West Philippine Sea to establish firm control of strategic areas, including the energy resource rich Reed Bank, only 90 nautical miles west of Palawan and well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The US has promised to help its alliance partner, the Philippines, develop a minimum credible defense capability under the Security Sector Roadmap but did not put a price tag on the military aid package.
The $1 billion security assistance for 2025 could be part of the Roadmap, but certainly is not enough to help the Philippines project power beyond its 12-nautical mile territorial waters.
When the US tried to sell a squadron of next generation F16s, the price tag for the 12 fighters was at a prohibitive $2.4 billion.
The Philippines has only $1.2 billion budget for 12 fighters and was good only for the old models of the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters.
The Philippines deserved to get more than $1 billion in military aid annually. It has been designated as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally since 2003.
It was a reward from President George Bush after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sent a token 50-member peacekeeping force to Iraq. But relations with US soured when she pulled out the contingent after a Filipino driver was kidnapped in Falluja.
Before the US withdrew from Subic and Clark, it used to pay $200 million every year for the “rent” of the two bases.
The military aid went down before $50 million annually after the bases.
From 2015 to 2022, the Philippines got $1.4 billion in security assistance. Thus, the $1 billion for 2025 would be a dramatic increase due to the situation in the South China Sea.
The Philippines would probably need more than $1 billion from the US to acquired an effective anti-access and area denial (A2AD) capability to boost its new strategy of Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense.
Ferdinand Marcos has unveiled a very ambitious ten-year third horizon modernization program worth P1.9 trillion to acquire four squadrons of multi-role fighters, air defense radars, drones, missiles, frigates, corvettes, artillery systems and armored vehicles.
The price of freedom is not cheap. It could drain the economy.
China has been increasing its defense spending despite a cooling economy and slower growth.Its military build up does not only worry the United States but fueled a regional arms race among smaller and middle power states.
Meanwhile, the $1 billion military aid package will not go into the Philippines’ pockets. It will benefit only the US defense industries that will produce the weapons systems. Some of these defense contractors would be able to recycle older equipment by refurbishing planes and ships.
In the end, the US would benefit from the supplemental budget and the PERA law. The Philippines will get the crumbs.
The views expressed by the columnist do not necessarily reflect that of the media organization.
