President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flew to the United States yesterday, hoping that the trilateral summit between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan would enhance freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea and strengthen the country’s defense capability.

Marcos departed for Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the historic summit slated for 11 April amid rising tensions in the disputed waters.

While details of the agreements remain under discussion, Marcos said the summit focuses on establishing a framework for joint actions.

“(The summit) will contain more details in the sense of how cooperation will be implemented,” Marcos told reporters in a media interview.

He said he plans to discuss regional security challenges while emphasizing the need to support the rule of law and preserve the rules-based international order.

“The main intent of this trilateral agreement is for us to be able to continue to flourish, to be able to help one another and, of course, to keep the West Philippine Sea as a freedom area, to keep the peace in the West Philippine Sea and the freedom of navigation,” Marcos added.

Apart from maritime security, he said he would highlight the importance of enhancing economic cooperation “with a view to promoting economic resilience.”

He said he intends to explore ways of advancing cooperation, especially in critical infrastructure, semiconductors, digitalization and cybersecurity, critical minerals, renewable energy, on top of defense and maritime cooperation.

The visit includes a bilateral meeting with Biden and a separate one with Kishida on the summit’s sidelines.

Show of collective resolve

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff, Romeo Brawner Jr., said the recently concluded multilateral maritime cooperative activities (MMCAs) with the United States, Japan, and Australia will not be the last as the Philippines expects more naval exercises with other like-minded allies in its exclusive economic zone,

The country’s past and future multilateral activities with like-minded allies “are not directed against any country,” Brawner said.

“We are doing the exercises, number one, for interoperability to see if we could jointly operate with other like-minded armed forces and to enhance our own defense capability,” he added.

Brawner emphasized the need for the Philippines to learn new naval tactics as it continues to modernize and shift its defense posture to external operations.

“We learn from the modern navies of our allies, and they also learn from us,” he said.

Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong assured that the Philippines will conduct future MMCAs in accordance with maritime rights under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Actually, at the moment, I am not aware of talks about future MMCAs, but we are always ready and welcome any opportunities to conduct MMCAs with our allies and partners and other nations who are like-minded and wish to participate,” Andolong said.

“We want to send a clear message about the unity and resolve of our nations, especially the four nations that participated in upholding universally recognized norms and principles. And the MMCA is a practical implementation for partnership with like-minded countries,” he said.

In a separate interview, AFP spokesperson, Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, said it is practical for the country to engage in more maritime activities with other allies in the WPS.

“Conducting MMCAs with allied countries in the coming days is feasible, provided that all parties approve them at the ministerial level and in alignment with the international rules-based order and international laws,” she said.

The AFP, she added, always welcomes more like-minded nations joining Philippine forces in future maritime cooperative activities.

She, however, deferred further the details to the Department of National Defense.

“These activities serve as a resolute statement of unity reaffirming our adherence to International laws,” Padilla added.

She underscored that the country’s MMCAs always “embody the practical manifestation of partnerships and collaboration with like-minded nations.”

More naval patrols

Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said there will be more multilateral naval patrols in the WPS.

“While we do not comment on future operations, we can expect an increase in navy-to-navy at-sea engagements,” Trinidad told reporters on Wednesday.

He said the country’s push for more naval cooperation with like-minded allies.

The naval cooperation would serve as an operational approach to the Active Archipelagic Defense Strategy — the naval component of the DND’s newly introduced Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept.

“This is the Navy’s contribution to a stable international order in the West Philippine Sea,” he said,

Trinidad said such maritime engagements would allow the Philippines to test the operational readiness of its surface fleet and to operate with partners, from planning to preparation and execution.

“The Philippine Navy welcomes all navies willing to partner with us in developing our capabilities and promoting stability in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Deter bullying

Senator Francis Tolentino, meanwhile, urged the government to conduct regular joint patrols with Australia, Japan, and the US following their successful MMCA last week.

“I think the joint patrol in the WPS will signify a commitment to mutual defense and security cooperation among allies. Our diplomatic ties with defense allies will be strengthened,” he said.

Tolentino debunked notions that joint patrols in the WPS would further “enrage China” and provoke increased tensions in the disputed waters.

“For me, it will promote more regional stability because the joint patrols will contribute to regional security and cooperation,” Tolentino told reporters on Wednesday.

On 7 April, five ships participated in the MMCA, including the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz from the Philippines, the USS Mobile from the United States, the HMAS Warramunga from Australia, and the Japanese destroyer Akebono.