Don’t cross line

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had a face-off with a People’s Liberation Army officer after his keynote address at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore the other day.

Chinese Maj. Gen. Xu Hui asked if the Philippines was “risking” the regional peace by not “[considering] other parties’ comfort level” in deciding what actions to take in the South China Sea.

Marcos skillfully put across to Xu the Philippine position despite the PLA brass’ obvious effort to box the President into a corner, implying that the Philippines was acting as a pawn of the United States and other Western powers.

Beijing wants to propagate the narrative that the West Philippine Sea dispute can only be resolved among the claimants without involving any other parties. China has relented to the extent of negotiating with the ASEAN for a Code of Conduct that, however, has been shelved for decades because of its impossible impositions.

PBBM started with the geopolitical problems that erupted in different parts of the world which he said can’t be isolated and that it has become hard to segregate regional from global issues.

“Principles laid down in support of ASEAN centrality are something that must be used to guide us and if we have been distracted these past years, then it is time to return and remember what ASEAN was created for,” Marcos said.

While the Philippines remains true to the principles that created ASEAN, the Chief Executive said the global situation has been “a great deal more complicated than it used to be before.”

He clarified that the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute is a global issue since it involves the passageway for half of the world’s trade.

The peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the WPS is a world issue. It is a regional issue, thus, we must include all parties in the discussion, according to Marcos.

“It is not only ASEAN member states that are stakeholders but it is quite easy to see that the world has a stake in this,” he noted.

The President, in reply to a question about the tipping point in the friction, said he would not allow the death of one Filipino amid the worsening aggression of the Chinese.

“We already have suffered injury, but thank God, we have not yet gotten to the point where any of our participants, civilian or otherwise, have been killed,” the President said.

He said losing a life would be the Rubicon that should not be crossed.

“Is that a red line? Almost certainly it’s going to be a red line,” he said.

Admitting that it remained at a disadvantage when faced with an Asian superpower, Marcos said the Philippines will build its defense capabilities to protect its sovereignty and territory against any aggression.

The country is in the process of finding suppliers for its military modernization program called Horizon 3.

The buildup is meant purely for the defense of the nation. “We are hoping that these acts are just a deterrence to work for peace. It has been going on for many years now — this long-term plan of increasing the capabilities of our military and civilians, such as the Coast Guard of the Philippines,” he said.

Diplomacy remains the main method of achieving peace in the region as he said the Philippines remains committed to the cause of peace, “upon which our constitutional order is premised. We are committed to addressing and managing difficult issues through dialogue and diplomacy.”

In his speech, Marcos reiterated the country’s position to challenge attempts to disregard its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the WPS, saying it is the lifeblood of every Filipino.

“In this solid footing and through our clear moral ascendancy, we find the strength to do whatever it takes to protect our sovereign home — to the last square inch, to the last square millimeter. The life-giving waters of the West Philippine Sea flow in the blood of every Filipino,” Marcos said.

As president, Marcos said he has sworn the solemn commitment to defend the country’s sovereignty “from the very first day that I took office. I do not intend to yield. Filipinos do not yield.”

He expressed confidence the Philippines is on the right side of history since its actions in the WPS conform to the international-based order, which is ironic since history is supposedly the basis for China’s expansive sea claims.