NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews) — Some thought we found respite from the unbridled aggression of China in West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the conduct of multilateral maritime exercise in the country’s territorial waters, the latest of which was participated in by the Philippines, the United States and France as part of this year’s Balikatan exercises.
No. On the contrary, this incensed the Chinese, which declared that the joint exercise violates China’s sovereignty and is escalating the tension in the area. It responded by increasing their naval presence, putting pressure and driving our local fishers away. And more and more maritime militia-fishing vessels aggregate, instead, in the contested waters to exploit our marine resources unhampered.
The WPS is an exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. What is now our territorial water, however, has been an international shipping lane since time immemorial. By tradition and international law, the country is duty-bound to respect, uphold and protect the passage way.
The multilateral maritime exercise participated also by Australia, Japan and South Korea, at one or another, manifests concern and an effort to safeguard free navigation in said shipping lane put at risk by Chinese harassing adventurism.
But what is actually needed to upend the escalating violence of Chinese aggression is not just an exercise but a regular multilateral maritime patrol, perhaps, by rotation, involving all countries whose interest is at stake over imperial China’s exclusive claim of the entire South China Sea.
In one way or another, the regular conduct of multilateral maritime exercise boosts the defense of the country from foreign invasion as mapped out by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).The agreement allows the United States to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the United States to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases for both American and Philippine forces. The EDCA sites are strategically distributed in the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; Balabac Island in Palawan; and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan.
Of course, it is common knowledge that one’s best defense is also the best target of an offense.
It is catch 22. But, I suppose, this is better than being merely a sitting duck doing nothing.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines)
