By Farah G. Decano

 

FROM January 2020 up to October 2023, the Philippines has lodged a whopping four hundred sixty-five diplomatic protests against China. Despite these numerous formal actions, the Asian superpower recently resumed its vexatious water canon attacks against our Philippine vessels on a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).  Almost every two weeks, we read news about this obtrusive conduct by China against our country.

Our sovereign right over the disputed areas is not only plain romanticism.  It is legal.  We have signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas which recognizes the Philippines’ exclusive economic right over the 200 nautical miles from the coastal baseline. Interestingly, China ratified the same convention in 1996 and so we wonder why it is backing down on the very agreement it supported decades ago.

I didn’t vote for President Marcos Jr in the last elections but I am supporting his courageous stand on this one. He is forthright about his policy in the West Philippine Sea against Chinese hostilities.  This presidential move prompted many countries to throw in their support for us.  India has recently discarded its strategic neutrality or ambiguity and has expressed its side in our favor.

With the increasing international support for the Philippines, China is now in a frenzy to secure certain allies.  It would probably be embarrassing for the eastern economic power if Vietnam joins us in the stand-off.  It must be remembered that the Vietnamese were as jubilant as we were when we won against China in the International Tribunal in July 2016.  They are very passionate against China as regards their maritime area.  As of this writing, President Xi Jinping is in that part of Asia and is trying to quell that possibility of a Vietnam cooperation with the Philippines. In fact, he is now proposing a mutual resolution of their own sea dispute by emphasizing on their shared values.  Obviously, President Xi is attempting to neutralize the effect of US President Biden’s visit to Vietnam wherein the latter upgraded its policy on its relationship with the western foreign power.  Who knows what this strengthened ties can do to the WPS issue?

Perhaps, if Vietnam escalates its condemnation of Chinese’ hostility in the disputed areas then this would contribute to China’s losing its “Mianzi” in the global sphere.  I don’t think, however, that Vietnam will do so, now that China has humbled itself in offering a possible solution.  Asians are big on humility and will tend to acknowledge with gratitude any act of self-effacement for peace’s sake.

What should the Philippines do now?

Pasutilan na lang ba hanggang mawalan ng yabang ang China?

Isn’t that how an opponent of less capability fight?  We irritate.  We annoy.  We shame.  And I think this is our country’s strategy now.  Pasutilan.  The Philippines keeps sending supply missions even if it knows that its vessels will be bumped or attacked by water cannons.  And whenever China reacts aggressively, the Philippines complains in the international scene and gathers more and more condemnation against the Asian superpower.

I guess there is more to just a pasutilan strategy.  Justice Antonio Carpio has already suggested the filing of another case against China.  Justice Secretary Remulla is mulling about it.  Let us see what President Bongbong thinks.

Meantime, I am glad that President Marcos appointed a no-nonsense defense secretary, Atty. Gilberto Teodoro, who bravely ordered the removal of the water barriers in the West Philippine Sea installed by China.  Unfortunately, the latter recently returned the same.

Perhaps, President Bongbong should invite the former Philippine legal team against China led by Justice Carpio and his foreign and defense secretaries to agree on a strategy parallel to what is perceived as pasutilan. #

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