Following confirmation from the Philippine Army that Chinese Navy ships are monitoring the multilateral maritime cooperative activity in the West Philippine Sea involving the Philippines, Japan and the United States, a civic leader said the country must uphold its sovereign rights under international law and resist sustained pressure.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines, rejecting China’s sweeping nine-dash line claim. The ruling was legally binding and affirmed the country’s sovereign rights.

“But the pressure continued. There were incidents of harassment at sea. Some tactics fell short of open conflict, yet carried clear intent. Foreign presence in areas that are rightfully ours became more frequent. China’s expansionism is not reactive diplomacy. It is deliberate strategic revisionism, executed through incremental encroachment, sustained maritime pressure, and calculated ambiguity,” said Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas, and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement chairman emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia.

“This is not accidental. Nor is it random. When patrols become routine, when regulations follow in sequence, when maps gradually widen in scope, and when messaging remains consistent, these are no longer isolated events. They indicate direction,” he stressed.

Goitia said intent does not always require formal declaration, as patterns of action can speak for themselves.

He added that the Philippines recognizes these moves as part of a longer strategic design, not merely responses to present developments.

“Strategic ambition is rarely proclaimed. It is revealed through sustained and consistent action. A single patrol may appear minor. A technical regulation may seem routine. But when actions are repeated in steady succession, they are no longer coincidental. The Philippines understands the trajectory. It is fully aware of where such patterns lead and will not allow them to unfold unchecked,” he said.

Goitia also warned that strategic pressure may extend beyond maritime areas into airspace and other sensitive corridors.

On 12 February, authorities arrested Bold-Erdene Boldbaatar, a pilot trainee in Zambales, for allegedly violating visa conditions and misrepresenting prior military training. Officials said his training flights in Iba, about 120 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc, allegedly involved taking aerial images of strategic locations.

“This raised serious security concerns. The government’s coordinated response underscored an important principle. Vigilance must be constant. A Republic that respects itself does not ignore warning signs. Vigilance is not aggression. It is the discipline of sovereignty. A nation that fails to protect its strategic areas invites quiet intrusion,” he said.