BY ASHZEL HACHERO and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo yesterday told China to stop harassing the Philippines even as he said Manila wants to solve maritime dispute with Beijing in a peaceful manner.
Manalo made the call on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held in Melbourne, Australia where he also defended the decision of the Philippine government to publicize Chinese harassment and other aggressive acts against Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
“We are merely trying to inform our people of what is going on in the area. And some countries, or one country at least, has some difficulty with our stance,” he said.
“But our simple explanation is, if you would stop harassing us and, and perhaps performing other aggressive actions, there wouldn’t be any news to report,” he added.
Manalo reiterated Manila’s stance that it is committed to resolving the dispute through peaceful or diplomatic means.
But, he added, Manila will not do this at the expense of its national interest.
He also said that Manila is reaching out not only to its allies but other like-minded countries grappling with similar concerns
President Marcos, also in Australia, reiterated the Philippines will continue to cooperate and engage China diplomatically but it will be forced to “push back” when issues of sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are “questioned or ignored.”
The President made the statement during his engagement with the Lowy Institute in Melbourne, during discussions on the “Peace and Resilient Amidst Great Power Rivalries: The Philippine Perspective.”
Marcos talked about the growing rivalry between the United States and China and its impact in the region, especially on smaller nations.
He said Indo-Pacific region cannot ignore the existential impact of great power rivalries upon the survival of the region’s peoples and communities.
Tension between Manila and Beijing has heightened in recent months, with both countries trading accusations over a series of incidents in the WPS.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, as its own.
A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in a case brought by the Philippines however rejected China’s sweeping claims over the disputed waters, saying its so-called nine dash line had no legal or historical basis. But Beijing refuses to abide by the arbitral ruling and has been insisting on bilateral talks to resolve the maritime dispute, all the while fortifying its claim over the South China Sea.
Last month, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez said harassment and aggressive activities by Chinese vessels against Filipino ships in the WPS is a real flashpoint that could result in a military conflict.
US ELECTIONS
Manalo said Manila is monitoring the election season in the United States, which would pit re-electionist Joe Biden against Republican firebrand Donald Trump.
“Every country in the world is probably thinking of that, of course. The United States is a major, it’s a treaty ally of the Philippines. So obviously, any differences or changes in US policy from existing policies would most likely have some kind of effect,” Manalo said.
But he said at this time, it is difficult to fully assess what would happen.
Earlier, Romualdez said he does not foresee a major turnaround or change in US policy in the region, or regarding the Philippines even if Trump would win the November 2024 polls.
Manila has a Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington signed in 1951 that binds both countries to come to each other’s aid in case of invasion or aggression.
The Marcos administration has approved four more military sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) where US troops can station with their supplies and equipment, bringing to nine the number of EDCA sites across the country.
Three of the four new EDCA sites are located in northern Luzon close to Taiwan. The fourth site is in Balabac, Palawan, near the South China Sea where Beijing has constructed military facilities on artificial islands it has built.
Chinese officials have said these sites can be used by the US to conduct surveillance on their forces, and to possibly intervene if the tension in the Taiwan Strait worsens.
PARTNERSHIPS
Marcos said while the Philippines has a strategic partnership with the US, Filipinos also have centuries of friendship and kinship with the Chinese people and have a comprehensive strategic cooperation with China that is founded on mutual respect and mutual benefit.
“Our independent foreign policy compels us to cooperate with them (China) on matters where our interests align, to respectfully disagree on areas where our view differ, and to push back when our sworn principles, such as our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and our jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea — are questioned or ignored,” he added.
The President said when it comes to the issue of the South China Sea, the Philippines’ interests are clear and based on the universal and unified character of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding determinations of the South China Sea Arbitration Award of 2016.
He said it is unfortunate that despite the “clarity provided by international law, provocative, unilateral, and illegal actions continue to infringe upon our sovereignty, our sovereign rights, our jurisdictions.”
“This pattern of aggression obstructs our path towards ASEAN’s (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) vision of the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and of prosperity,” he added.
The President reiterated that the Philippines is firm on its stand that it will not give up even an inch of its territory to foreign powers.
Marcos issued the same statement last week when he addressed the Australian Parliament, and when asked during the Lowy event to explain why he took a more assertive stand against China’s provocations — different from the stand of his predecessor — Marcos said his stand is based on the Philippine Constitution and the international treaties and conventions.
He said the definition of the Philippine territory is enshrined in the Constitution and international treaties and conventions and it is his sworn duty to defend the country’s territory and sovereignty.
“I took an oath and in that oath… is to support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. And the first article of our Constitution is the definition of our territory, maritime and otherwise,” he said.
“And it has been recognized as sovereign territory of the Philippines. And therefore, it was not, in my view, when I came into office, we simply have no choice, we must defend the territory of the republic. And that is a primordial duty of a leader,” he added.
The President also said that the Philippines cannot allow a unilateral decision made by some foreign capital to amend, or to change the definition of the country’s territory.
Marcos promised to do whatever it takes to maintain that situation and make it very clear that the Philippines’ territorial integrity cannot be threatened, “and if threats are made, then we must defend against threats.”
‘SINOPHOBIA REMARKS’
The Philippine Embassy in Washington yesterday rejected China’s remarks against Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez who said that the West Philippine Sea is the real flashpoint for armed conflict in the region.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila in a statement late Sunday said Romualdez’ remarks before a consular gathering last week has no basis and accused him of stirring trouble in the South China Sea.
It also called on Romualdez to stop spreading “erroneous information” against Beijing and to stop being a “mouthpiece for another country.”
But the Philippine embassy said Romualdez’ remarks were consistent with the stand of the country and its highest officials on the threat posed by China’s “unlawful, aggressive and provocative actions” against Philippine vessels and personnel and Filipino fishermen.
“The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. rejects the recent remarks made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez,” the embassy said.
“Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez is not a mouthpiece for another country nor is he spreading erroneous China threat and Sinophobia remarks,” the embassy added.
The embassy stressed that Manila’s effort to defend its territorial and maritime entitlements from intrusions is not serving the interest of another country as Beijing claimed, adding that the country will always act to defend its legitimate rights, sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.
“The Philippines is consistently committed to an international rules-based order, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the embassy added.
CHINESE SHIPS
The National Security Council (NSC) has ordered an investigation on the presence of two Chinese research vessels at the vicinity of Philippine Rise, also known as Benham Rise, a vast undersea region east of Luzon.
NSC Assistant Director General and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said in a briefing that a diplomatic protest will be lodged against China if the vessels conducted survey in the area.
Malaya said the NSC is “concerned” over the presence of the survey ships at Philippine Rise, which was first reported last Friday by retired US Air Force colonel and Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation fellow Raymond Powell.
Powell has said the research vessels, Haiyang Dizhi Liuhao and Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, left a port in Longxue Island in Guangzhou last February 26 and were “loitering” at the vicinity of Benham Rise last Friday.
On Sunday, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said the Chinese vessels were already out of the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone as of Saturday afternoon. He said the vessels were en route to Pacific Ocean, and merely passed through Benham Rise.
Yesterday, Trinidad said the vessels were 800 nautical miles from Casiguran, Aurora as of Sunday morning.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION
Trinidad said the passage of the Chinese vessels is not a cause for concern noting that other countries are allowed to pass the area under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“Under the UNCLOS, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, all vessels can pass through (the area) the EEZ (exclusive economic zone) of another country, under the concept of freedom of navigation,” said Trinidad.
“You know, Philippines is near the sea lanes of communication or maritime or nautical highway so many marine vessels are passing the area,” he added.
Trinidad said there is “nothing to be worried about,” stressing that foreign vessels are allowed to pass in the area under UNCLOS under the concept of freedom of navigation.
Doubting the vessels conducted a survey, Trinidad said “it would take more than a few hours to do a good research.”
“They did not commit any violation,” added Trinidad of the Chinese, adding the military did not monitor any other activity on the part of the Chinese during their passage.
Malaya acknowledged that foreign vessels are allowed innocent passage in the area but added it would be illegal if they conduct engaged in survey or research.
“And in this case, these two marine research vessels did not ask permission from the government (to conduct survey). And if they are conducting marine research in that area, that is an illegal act on the part of these two ships,” said Malaya.
Speaker Martin Romualdez condemned the presence of Chinese vessels within the Philippine Rise, saying “the Philippines will not compromise its territorial integrity or allow any encroachment upon its sovereign rights.”
“Philippine Rise is unquestionably within our EEZ, and we will assert our authority to safeguard our maritime domain,” the Speaker said. “The Philippine Rise is a vital marine resource rich in biodiversity and potential for scientific research, as well as economic opportunities for our country. We must protect and harness its full potential for the benefit of the Filipino people.”
“The Philippines will not back down or yield an inch of its territory. We will continue to assert our rights over the Philippine Rise and any other maritime areas that belong to us under international law,” he added. — With Victor Reyes and Wendell Vigilia
