THE maritime security issue in the West Philippine Sea remains a persistent and primary concern for the Philippines, and the next president should handle this issue decisively and firmly.
This was the takeaway during the recent launch of the book “The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict” by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development Elbridge Colby in partnership with Stratbase ADRi.
“China’s aggressive behavior and expansionist agenda provide impetus for a strategic reassessment of the country’s foreign and security policy,” Stratbase Adri president Prof. Dindo Manhit said.
“The Philippines should utilize its expansive network in securing the freedom of the West Philippine Sea and in countering the aggressive behavior of Chinese maritime militia. The inherent multi-polarity and the emergence of traditional, non-traditional, and evolving security threats have led to numerous challenges and geopolitical shifts.”
Manhit said “the people must choose a candidate with strategic thinking to appraise the complex dynamics of regional geopolitics and the respective leaders in the international arena. The next President must always be sensitive to the true will of the people.”
Colby said that “if China really wanted to reliably be able to coerce Manila, it would want the ability to use direct military force, and the reality is that China is going to have that ability. I think the Philippines should concentrate much more on the high-end military scenario rather than the South China Sea gray zone.
“The risk is that China will increasingly be able to have military escalation dominance so that if there is a conflict arising over, say, Scarborough Shoal, the Chinese will be able to impose their will, and they will resolve any issues in their favor,” Colby said.
Stratbase trustee Dr. Renato de Castro said the Philippines is now at crossroads on whether to continue the appeasement policy on China, adding that despite President Duterte’s manifestly preferential treatment of China, it failed to deliver the promised loans and direct investments to finance the Philippine government’s Build, Build, build program. Instead, it only increased its naval presence and assertiveness near the artificial islands it constructed in the South China Sea.
“Now the defense, military and foreign affairs establishments are pushing for a strategy aimed at constraining China’s revisionist agenda in the South China Sea,” De Castro said.
“Limited hard balancing seeks to constrain China’s ability to unilaterally impose its preferences on the Philippines and other littoral states through limited arms build-up and reliance on diplomatic coalition of like-minded states that will defend their common interest to maintain a rules-based international order,” De Castro added.
Manhit stressed that “the next President of the Philippines should prioritize multilateral and inclusive cooperation with like-minded states such as the US, Japan, Australia, and India to ensure the maintenance of a rules-based international order and the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“Beyond 2022, the Philippines must successfully contribute to building a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable region,” Manhit said.
