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| NEW PATROL BOATS US Ambassador Harry Thomas and Police Director Samuel Diciano pour champagne on two patrol boats during the turnover of $9-million worth of equipment donated by the US government to the PNP Special Boat Unit in Palawan on Thursday. PNP-PIO |
Pursuing
its pivot to Asia strategy, the United States on Thursday handed over to the
Philippines new equipment to improve surveillance and law enforcement
operations in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as President Benigno
Aquino prepared to meet China’s leader for talks that may include territorial
disputes in those waters.
US
Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas turned over to police and local
government officials in Palawan province two new patrol boats and two
boat-towing pick-ups to support the Philippine National Police Special Boat
Unit (SBU) in the island province.
The
United States is also helping the Philippines build a new SBU outstation on
Balabac Island, off Palawan’s southernmost tip close to Sabah in Borneo.
Police
and local officials in Palawan said the new equipment would not be used for
border patrols in disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea but for
surveillance against transnational crimes.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
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