The desire of the United States to play a bigger role in the Asia-Pacific region is a very positive development. It shows America’s enduring commitment to the Philippines, its longtime ally. US military presence will definitely help boost the defense capability of our military which needs modern equipment and combat training. Our military needs America’s expertise.
That we should strive to have a military force that can stand on its own is a sound proposition, but it takes some time to build one that can stand head-to-head with other armed forces of the world. Without the US forces here, our country will be an easy target for foreign invaders, as recent developments in the Spratlys even now shows.
—JONAS B. CUETO JR.,
jonascuetojr@yahoo.com