Philippines holds more patrols after Oct. 22 collisions with Chinese ships

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporters

THE PHILIPPINES is conducting more patrols and freedom of navigation missions in the South China Sea after collisions with Chinese ships at Second Thomas Shoal, an official said on Tuesday.

The increased sea patrols in a “limited capacity” come after authorities monitored a number of Chinese maritime militia vessels near the shoal, as well as at Scarborough Shoal and Escoda Shoal, said Jonathan M. Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council.

“We are alarmed by the environmental degradation our coast guard ships were able to monitor in these areas,” he told the ABS-CBN news Channel.

The Philippines on Monday filed a diplomatic protest against China and summoned its envoy in Manila after Chinese ships on Sunday collided with Philippine vessels trying to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino troops at Second Thomas Shoal.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. met with security agencies to “discuss the latest violation by China in the West Philippine Sea,” the presidential palace said in a statement, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The incident was “being taken seriously at the highest level of government,” it said, adding that the Chinese Coast Guard’s “dangerous, illegal and reckless maneuvers” had damaged a Philippine vessel.

Mr. Malaya asked China to “act responsibly” and respect and adhere to international law.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Monday said it had lodged stern representations to the Philippines over the “trespassing” of the Philippine vessels at Second Thomas Shoal.

It repeated China’s call for the Philippines to stop “causing trouble and provocation” at sea and end “groundless attacks and smearing” against China.

Meanwhile, political analysts said the Marcos government should bring China’s unlawful moves to international fora.

The government should also start creating strategic buffers including gradually diversifying trade away from Beijing, with expectations of worsening ties between them, they said.

“After filing a diplomatic protest against China, the next thing to do is to bring this issue to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum,” Gary Ador Dionisio, dean of the De La Salle University – College of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The Philippine government should barrage the international community with China’s intentional violations of the 2016 arbitration ruling,” he said, referring to the United Nations-backed tribunal’s decision to void China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

Raymond Powell, the South China Sea lead of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, said the Philippines must sustain the gains from its transparency campaign “so that China starts to look for an off-ramp.”

“China needs to be convinced that this level of aggression is not in its national interest,” he said in an X message.

He noted that China has leverage as well, “not least of which is the dilapidated condition of the BRP Sierra Madre.”

ECONOMIC TIES
“China may believe that it simply needs to endure the reputational cost of the blockade until the outpost begins to break apart,” he said, referring to the World War II-era ship that the Philippines ran aground at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its sovereignty claim.

“The Philippines and its American ally will need to have contingency plans for how to handle that inevitable event.”

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened after the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons to block Manila’s attempt to deliver food and other supplies to BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal on Aug. 5.

Mr. Marcos last week vowed to upgrade coast guard vessels and other equipment amid rising tensions with China.

He said the coast guard would soon have 40 40-foot vessels that would help boost the country’s maritime capability.

The Philippines should have a contingency plan “to include scenarios and measures to undertake should violence erupt,” Jaime B. Naval, a University of the Philippines political science professor, said via Messenger chat.

“Not only must our government and the people see and understand the trajectory of the Chinese actions. We should prepare for their implications so we can respond appropriately,” he added.

The Philippines should start forging economic arrangements with its allies to cut import dependence on China, Don Mclain Gill, who teaches foreign relations at De La Salle University, said via Messenger chat.

“It is important for Manila to continue deepening and broadening its security and economic ties with other like-minded stakeholders in the region to complement its interests.”

Chester B. Cabalza, founder of Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation, said the Philippines should encourage claimant-countries in the South China Sea to push a code of conduct in the waterway.

Meanwhile, Japan expressed concern over the Oct. 22 collisions, reiterating its support for the 2016 arbitral ruling against China.

“Japan highly appreciates the government of the Philippines for having consistently complied with the arbitral tribunal’s award as to the disputes between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China regarding the South China Sea and shown its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea,” the Embassy of Japan in Manila said in a statement.

“Japan has consistently advocated upholding the rule of law at sea and reemphasizes the importance of efforts toward a peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law,” it said. “Japan will continue working with ASEAN member-states and other global partners to ensure “free, open and peaceful seas.”

Political analysts earlier said the Philippines should tap Japan’s growing desire to help improve the security of its neighbors, noting that Tokyo’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had allotted significant resources to improve the defense capabilities of friendly neighbors.

Japan is the Philippines’ top infrastructural donor and supporter.

The Philippines got P109 billion in official development assistance from Japan from April 2021 to March 2022, the biggest among Southeast Asian beneficiaries, the Japan International Cooperation Agency said in January.