Filipinos should strengthen sovereignty in WPS — think tank

Notable think tank Stratbase ADR Institute has called on Filipinos to unite and insist on their rights to sovereignty in the West Philippines Sea, while an emerging group says we don’t need war but peaceful negotiations, as we are no match with the world’s superpower, China, if tensions continue to escalate.

Stratbase ADR Institute President Professor Dindo Manhit, in a statement on Saturday, emphasized that it is of utmost importance that Filipinos come together and strengthen the country’s sovereignty in the area.

“Confronted with asymmetric security challenges, the Philippines remains steadfast in its stance, employing a whole-of-society approach to asserting its rights in the West Philippine Sea. The current administration's firm pronouncements are complemented by the military's efforts to boost external defense capabilities through the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept,” Manhit said.

Moreover, Manhit added that civil society plays an active role through civilian missions in the West Philippine Sea and an assertive transparency strategy, publicizing incidents that undermine the rules-based international order.

This 12 July, Stratbase ADR Institute, in partnership with the Australian Embassy in the Philippines and the US Embassy in the Philippines, will hold the biggest West Philippine Sea Conference of 2024 in Makati City, coinciding with the commemoration of the 8th anniversary of the Arbitral ruling that dismissed China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.

Expected to attend the conference are the ambassadors of the United States, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan to the Philippines.

The National Security Council, top military officials from the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns are also expected to speak during the event. 

“The Arbitral Award accorded to the Philippines by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 underscored the importance of the rules-based international order. It brought to the forefront of global discussions the efforts of the Philippines to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and economic rights in the West Philippine Sea,” Manhit explained.

He stressed that Stratbase’s stance and concrete steps taken by the Philippines to safeguard its rights have inspired renewed confidence in the international community.

“Like-minded partners such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, France, and the European Union among others continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder as part of collective efforts to ensure security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Manhit said.

“The Arbitral Award serves as a reminder of the Philippines’ victory in upholding its sovereign rights and the enduring strength of the rules-based international order. Underscoring the ongoing challenges and the need for sustained vigilance and collective action, renewing the shared commitment to maritime security among all participants forges stronger partnerships in exploring innovative strategies to safeguard common interests in the Indo-Pacific,” he pointed out.

Peace not war

Meanwhile, the Patriyokitong Pilipino, a civic organization, has called President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resort to a peaceful settlement with the Chinese Government and stop provoking them by allowing military exercises in the Philippine waters, joined by other superpower nations such as the United States, Japan, Korea, among others.  

“The Filipino people do not want confrontation, but cooperation. Because if we resort to confrontation, the first thing to consider is… are we capable of fighting China? Although there’s a truce of de-escalation talks between the Department of Foreign Affairs and China, the next day we heard Tarriela (Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea) that he would invite the navy of Australia, the USA, and European countries, to ensure peace in the WPS. He is inciting to war,” said Roberto Tan, president of Patriyotikong Pilipino, in a press conference on Friday.

Further, the group said they are in support of the establishment of BRICS, an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

“It is also time that we join this coalition and get loose in our ties with the United States that only causing trouble to us, just as President Rodrigo Duterte did during his time. There were fewer tensions with China in the WPS during Duterte’s time,” Tan said.

On Tuesday, the Philippines and China pursued a de-escalation and managed disputes in the WPS amid escalating confrontations between the two sides.

In a statement, the DFA said a bilateral meeting was held in Manila where the two countries discussed the situation in the disputed waters, including the 17 June incident where Chinese Coast Guard vessels rammed Philippine vessels, seized firearms and rubber boats, and threatened Filipino soldiers with knives, axe, and spears to stop them from delivering food supplies, firearms, and other necessities to Filipino troops at the Bajo de Masinloc.