MANILA – The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday said it is sparing no effort to safeguard strategic passages in the country in line with the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC).
In a media briefing, PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad clarified that they are not only securing San Bernardino Strait but also several chokepoints.
“Not only San Bernardino Strait, (and the) southernmost part of the Bicol Region, the CADC also emphasizes Surigao Strait, Basilan Strait, Sibutu Passage, Balabac Passage, Verde Island Passage, and up north, Balintang or Basi Channel. These are what we call chokepoints,” he added.
CADC is a strategic shift that calls for the Philippine military to protect the country’s entire territory along with its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Chokepoint is defined as a maritime passage or a critical waterway.
“So, these chokepoints are also covered by the CADC. We have an emphasis on our choke points,” Trinidad said.
He added that chokepoints are covered by littoral stations or land-based sensors, aside from ship-based and air surveillance sensors. (PNA)