MANILA - Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said Thursday that no Filipino cadets are being sent to Chinese military schools.

Brawner said the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation with China in 2004, which allowed Manila to send officers to study in military schools in Beijing.

“Since 2004, nagpapadala na tayo ng mga estudyante doon. We require them to submit a report and we have to assess if kailangan ituloy ang programa. So far, ang mga after-schooling report, they recommend na ipagpatuloy ang pagpapadala ng students doon,” Brawner told defense reporters at the Western Command headquarters in Palawan on Thursday.

“Indeed, we are learning from all of them… Let me just clarify: Wala tayong pinapadala na cadets sa China,” he continued.

According to Brawner, the Philippines only sends cadets to military schools in four countries: the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

“We have about 45 Filipino cadets now studying abroad, pero wala sa China,” he said. “Malaki ang nakukuha nating value by sending officers and enlisted personnel to study. When they come back, they share best practices and we can see what we can apply here.”

• Senator flags AFP training in China

AFP WESCOM chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said the military training program gives officers an opportunity to learn more about the system of other countries.

Carlos himself is a product of both American and Chinese military education.

He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1989. He also completed his General Staff Course at the Naval Command College - People’s Liberation Army-Navy in China in 2008.

“Ako, personally, that is an opportunity to learn ano ang sa kabila. That is my distinct advantage now. I know both US and Chinese sides… I feel like it’s a good opportunity for us to learn about the other system—how they work, how they think,” Carlos said.

“I don’t feel any utang na loob to China just because they sponsored my schooling there. Ang aming trabaho is the national interest of the government and the Philippines,” he added.

Several senators earlier raised concerns that the AFP sends officers to China for training despite Beijing and Manila’s territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea.

Last Saturday, Chinese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons at a Philippine chartered boat bringing supplies to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

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