DND to follow Duterte on limiting joint patrols to exclusive economic zone

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Tuesday said it will follow President Rodrigo Duterte's wish to stop the country's involvement in joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea.

As per Duterte's orders, patrols will be limited to the 12-mile nautical zone of the Philippine's territory, DND Public Affairs Service Director Arsenio Andolong said.

"Well, susunod kami sa kautusan ng Pangulo. What he said was that in order to avoid any tensions or risk of miscalculations, our patrols will be limited to our 12 mile nautical mile zone, yung ating territorial waters," Andolong said.

Duterte had made the pronouncement during the 48th anniversary of the 250th Philippine Airlift Wing, following his declaration that he will pursue his own independent foreign policy.

But Andolong said that he does not recall US and Philippine forces patrolling the same area together.

"Sa pagkakaalala parang hindi per se yung patrols. Ang mga US forces conducted their own patrols but tayo we conducted our own. Yung joint mismo na in terms na sabay tayo nagpapatrol in the same area, I don't recall something of that sort," Andolong said.

Earlier this year, United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that it had started joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea amid a territorial dispute involving China.

Andolong stressed that the discontinuation of joint patrols does not discount the ruling of an international tribunal that China has no historical claims over parts of the South China Sea.

"We won the ruling sa tribunal, we are not saying that we are forgetting that, thats still part of our lives, ang sinabi lang niya 'I want to avoid the risk of miscalculation in english,'" he said. —Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News