Gibo: No point talking with China

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday expressed his personal but strong position that there's no point for the Philippines to talk with China over their conflicting territorial claims.

That is, according to Teodoro, unless China engages in bilateral talks anchored on "sincerity and on the fundamental principles" of a rules-based international order.

In an interview with reporters, Teodoro went as far as to say that China would only exploit any negotiation with the Philippines to "constrain" the latter from enforcing its sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS.

"My personal opinion is that if there are going to be bilateral discussions, they must be based on fundamental principles and on sincerity and that they shall not be used merely as a weapon in order to constrain the Philippines," Teodoro said.

Nonetheless, speaking on the sidelines of an Armed Forces of the Philippines event in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Teodoro said the matter of engaging China in a dialogue is a decision for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make.

"It's not my call, that is not my call. Whether or not there are bilateral [talks] is the call of the President and the secretary of Foreign Affairs," he said.

The Defense chief, however, is of the firm belief that nothing would come out of any talks with China, whose Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force have been harassing Philippine vessels in the WPS.

More, merrier

AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the Philippines is considering holding more joint patrols with countries other than the United States and Australia, with which it has forged maritime cooperation activity, or MAC, agreements. (See related story)

The Philippines held last week a MAC patrol with Australia, during which two Chinese fighter jets shadowed two Philippine Air Force turboprop Super Tucano light attack planes off Hubo Reef in the WPS.

The previous week, the Philippines held a MAC joint patrol with the United States, which saw a Chinese vessel shadow the US and Philippine ships.

Belaboring his point, Teodoro said that he sees no "fruitful" outcome of any talks with China as "the President himself has said that their (China's) illegal activities continue unabated."

"In that context, we will just be playing into their playbook, and it will be an attempt to constrain the Philippines from enforcing its claim" that is based on a 2016 arbitral ruling that recognized the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.

The same arbitral ruling shot down China's South China Sea territorial assertion based on its nine-dash (now expanded to 10-dash) line claim.

"It's not a question of growth, it's not a question of supply lines, or freedom of commerce or navigation; it's a question of survivability, (and) sustainability for future generations," he said.

Last week, member-states of the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum reached a consensus in Manila to promote and maintain the peace, security, and stability in the region.

The APPF31 also agreed to continue their adherence to the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes.

China initially objected to the resolutions sponsored by the Philippines and Indonesia, but agreed to them on the last day of the forum hosted by the Philippines.