PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be prepared for any eventuality amid “more pronounced external threats as a result of the heightened geopolitical tension in the Indo-Pacific,” and security issues around neighboring Taiwan.
The President, during a visit to the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division at Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu in Isabela on Monday, said the external threats to the Philippines have also become “more worrisome,” which is why the country has to be always prepared.
Marcos’ statement was made amid growing tension with China whose coast guard and militia vessels have been harassing Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, particularly those making routine delivery of supplies to Filipino soldiers deployed at the Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre that has been grounded at the Ayungin Shoal.
The President said the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan has put the country in “China’s area of interest,” which makes it important that the northern part of the country be “well-prepared for any eventuality.”
Taiwan is home to over 150,000 Filipinos.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring democratically governed Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory, under its control.
Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
China also claims almost the entire South China Sea. The Philippines and Taiwan claim parts of the South China Sea, like Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
China has expressed opposition to the Marcos government’s inclusion of two military camps in Cagayan, which is facing Taiwan, among nine sites that can be accessed by American troops under the United States-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The EDCA sites in Cagayan are the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana and Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo.
Marcos said with the more pronounced external threats, the mission of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division now includes external defense.
“The external threat now has become more pronounced, has become more worrisome, and that is why we have to prepare,” Marcos told the troops.
He again committed to provide the military with equipment, training, and facilities to make it a highly capable force.
Marcos last year gave US forces access to almost double the number of military bases at a time of concern over increased Chinese activity in the South China Sea and tension over Taiwan. China said the expanded US access was “stoking the fire.”
Last month, China’s military conducted two days of war games around Taiwan, including drills testing its ability to “seize power” and control key areas.
Marcos told the troops the Philippines was not trying to redraw lines of sovereign territory in the South China Sea, including its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and that it was committed to defend itself while engaging in diplomacy.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, in a statement, said China has “no business” being in the Philippines’ EEZ.
“The main message is: The 10-dash line is the provocation. And everything flows from that,” Teodoro said, referring to a U-shaped line on Chinese maps.
The line, which China said is based on its historic maps, loops as far as 1,500 km (932 miles) south of its Hainan island and cuts into the EEZs of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China’s claims over areas of the South China Sea in 2016, a decision China rejected.
ILLEGAL DRILLS
The military yesterday discounted the use of force to prevent “illegal” Chinese naval exercises within the country’s 200-nautical mile EEZ.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, told a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo there are other ways to prevent Chinese drills in the area.
He was commenting on the naval exercises conducted by the Chinese Navy near Sabina Shoal, an unoccupied feature about 71 nautical miles from mainland Palawan, from June 2 to 4.
Trinidad released details of the naval exercise last week. He has said the Chinese have no right to hold exercises within the Philippines’ EEZ. Yesterday, he said it was the first time China held a military exercise within the country’s EEZ. He said the exercise involved four ships and two aircraft.
Trinidad initially declined to say what will the military do in the event China will hold similar exercises within the country’s territory.
He said such exercise is “escalatory.”
“Their presence by itself is already escalatory. Whatever actions they do in furtherance of their illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive presence will only prove that they have no right to be within our exclusive economic zone,” he said.
Trinidad said the exercise was not coordinated by China with the Philippine military.
“It was announced. We observed, we monitored the conduct of their exercise,” he said, adding the exercise allowed the AFP to validate the Chinese capabilities which the Philippine military already know.
“The presence of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy in Sabina is a reflection of their presence in the entire West Philippine Sea — illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” he added.
Pressed if they are going to stop similar Chinese exercise in the future, Trinidad said there are many ways how to prevent such from being conducted within the Philippines’ EEZ.
“First and foremost, we inform everybody it is illegal, they have no right to be here,” he said.
“We do not yet use force on force. There are many actions, how to prevent, or how to stop the actions of other countries, especially China,” he said.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the AFP’s public information office, said the issue is being addressed through various means, including diplomatic.
“There are many ways of addressing this particular issue… We have different tracks but we don’t want to use military action … What the government is doing is more on the diplomatic track,” he said.
CHINESE SHIPS
The military reported an increase in the number of Chinese vessels in several features in the West Philippine Sea.
A total of 146 Chinese were monitored in these areas from June 4 to 10, up from 125 from the previous week.
Fifty of the 146 vessels were spotted at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal – 37 maritime militia vessels, eight Navy ships, and five Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
Forty-two vessels were monitored at Pag-asa Island, the largest among the nine features occupied by Philippines. These were composed of 40 maritime militia vessels, a Navy shop, and a Coast Guard vessel.
Thirty-three ships were seen at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal — 29 maritime vessels and four Coast Guard vessels.
China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipino fishermen from going inside the shoal’s lagoon
The other vessels were seen at Lawak Island (five Navy ship, two maritime militia vessels and a Coast Guard vessel), Sabina Shoal (four Navy ships and four Chinese Coast Guard), Kota Island (one Navy ship and one Coast Guard vessel), Panata Island (two Navy ships), and Likas Island (one Navy ship).
Trinidad said the Navy expects “nothing will happen” when China enforces a new set of regulations that allows the detention of foreigners intruding into its waters in the South China Sea, including West Philippine Sea.
“The actions right now of the Philippine Navy, the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and all other maritime players of the Philippine government is to prevent such a situation,” he said.
“We have increased patrols. We are involving our partners and allies. We are not the only one concerned, even other countries are concerned about that. This is not only a problem of the Philippines. It’s a problem of ASEAN and the international community,” he added.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte called on the AFP to make good on its assurance to protect Filipinos fishing in the WPS amid China’s warning to detain for 60 days without trial what it called “trespassers.”
“We are taking the military as its word that our fishers have nothing to worry about because the AFP has their back and will provide protection to them against possible harassment from the Chinese in the WPS,” he said.
He also backed the planned filing by the Department of Justice, in tandem with the Office of the Solicitor General, of an environmental damage case against Beijing for its island-building activities that have damaged coral reefs in the WPS.
“The opening of another legal front to protest China’s incursions into Philippine waters is certainly most welcome as part of the Marcos administration’s commitment to exhaust all means to bring to global attention – and generate broad international condemnation of – the nonstop bullying tactics of China in waters that are legally part of our maritime territory, as declared under the 1994 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and upheld by the 2016 arbitral ruling of the PCA (Permanent Court of Arbitration) in The Hague,” he said. — With Victor Reyes, Wendell Vigilia, and Reuters
