I have written several pieces on the WPS. The central point of my arguments is that Imperial China already occupy shoals, reefs and other maritime features within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Worse, the new Emperor has built sophisticated military bases and continues with illegal unhampered constructions.
We tried the long frustrating passive approach via negotiation, talks and diplomacy from the time of President Noynoy Aquino to President Rodrigo Duterte. But the infringement, encroachment and occupation of parts of our EEZ at the WPS continue because the Chinese are merely double talking us.
While talks are underway, they never let up. We are pushed to the wall and convinced that talk or silence would leave us with nothing. There is no way to go and the Philippine option is to pick either the devil or the deep blue sea.
I mean, even if some of our people don’t like US involvement in the issue, the Philippines being a militarily and economically weak nation, needs for tactical and strategic considerations to ally with Uncle Sam.
The US has continually expressed and offered its “ironclad commitment” under the Mutual Defense Treaty that binds the two countries to defend each other. So we have at hand the two major elements at our back.
Japan, Australia, the UK, France, and six other nations have signed military defense agreements at the patriotic initiative of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to support us in defense of the law of the sea and freedom of navigation and in line with the Permanent Arbitral Tribunal ruling declaring the so-called nine-dash line imagined by China as having no basis in law.
That somehow is holding China back. Obviously, it strengthens our resolve to face an overly abusive expansionist Imperial China. And the modernization and development Marcos is doing for the AFP will improve our deterrence against the bully’s attempt to obliterate us at the WPS.
Emperor Xi Jinping would like to have total control of the South China Sea (SCS) and that is what we are seeing at the moment. Eventually, the objective of choking us will be realized and their economic, political and military interests will be ensured, no less. But trillions in world trade will then be jeopardized. So we will all suffer while China enjoys holidays with total control of the vast South China Sea.
But our President BBM had declared in no uncertain terms that “I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory.” Of course, Marcos was clearly referring to China. This assures us Filipinos, and the rest of the civilized world, that we have a President who is brave, with enough patriotism, who is up and about defending our national sovereignty and territory.
In many international fora, Marcos has stressed in no uncertain terms that the Philippines will continue guarding its maritime borders and assist our fishermen who for centuries have depended on the reefs and shoals at the WPS for their livelihood.
Now we have regular patrols and deliveries of fuel, food, etc. to our fishermen which was perhaps inadequate, if not lacking, before the Marcos administration took over. This is occurring despite the constant bullying, harassment and progressive coercive actions being perpetrated by hundreds of Chinese Navy, Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels of varying sizes.
Marcos is worried that “the situation is changing.” There’s need for a free and open SCS. It’s perfectly correct for President Marcos to call for the international community’s support in upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
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