Phl not a pawn, says DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has underscored the importance of challenging China’s claims in the South China Sea, which overlaps the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, in a message delivered by Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez during a recent National Security Cluster communications workshop, said China’s narrative surrounding the WPS “has been obscured by misinformation and manipulation.”

“The South China Sea is shared by many coastal states, and our portion of it is what we call the West Philippine Sea,” Manalo said.

He criticized China’s “rampant disinformation campaign” that seeks to distort the truth and sow discord among nations and Filipinos.

“There are some that want to project the WPS as a matter between great powers, and we are just pawns in this game,” Manalo said, rejecting this notion.

He stressed the need to expose the “illegality of the nine-dash line” as it threatens Filipino fisher livelihoods and harms the environment through reclamation activities.

The Philippines, Manalo said, stands firm on the foundation of international law, with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitration Award as its anchors.

He categorically rejected China’s “excessive claims and aggressive actions” in the WPS, emphasizing their opposition to the rule of law and regional peace and stability.

Manalo underscored the need to defend the international law of the sea and a rules-based order for global peace and prosperity.

Twin anchors

While acknowledging the importance of the Philippines’ bilateral relationship with China, Manalo said the DFA “stands ready” to defend the country’s interests despite the “increasingly aggressive actions” by China.

For the DFA, foreign policy in the South China Sea is built on the twin anchors of the 2016 Arbitral Award and UNCLOS, Manalo added.

He emphasized the importance of partnerships for maritime security cooperation, citing existing dialogues with the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and the European Union.

Manalo also noted the Philippines’ participation in the recent Philippines-Japan-United States Trilateral Summit and growing interest from other countries in trilateral and quadrilateral engagements.