FINDING ANSWERS
Former Senator
Atty. Joey Lina
For the perceived overwhelming majority of Filipinos who trust the United States and resent China’s incursions into the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the current visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris is a breath of fresh air.
That the second highest official of the world’s top superpower is in our country to not only boost economic ties, but to reinforce longtime security relations and “underscore America’s commitment to extending support to the Philippines by asserting rule-based international maritime order over its maritime dispute with China,” speaks volumes.
The plan for VP Harris to board Philippine patrol ship BRP Teresa Magbanua and make a highly symbolic stop on our island near Palawan is certainly reassuring to the Philippines. It comes at a time of increasing frustration felt by America’s oldest ally in Asia over China’s expansionism all these years, despite the 2016 Arbitral Ruling invalidating China’s 9-dash line claim over practically the entire South China Sea.
Her visit to show US support is certainly a welcome development after a thorny period of relations during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte who reportedly sought closer ties with our giant neighbor while periodically lashing out at the US.
But despite all the disgust he voiced against America, Filipinos remained steadfast in their trust for the US as consistently shown in all surveys of Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations over the years.
When the former president floated the idea of a probable alliance with China while talking of terminating military ties with the US, many Filipinos viewed the idea as simply unthinkable.
The positive attitude most Filipinos feel for the US is mainly due to cultural, social, and ideological reasons. Despite historical abuses, such as the Balangiga massacre committed by US forces in the past, Filipinos have learned to trust America – the primary reason why there are about four million Filipino-Americans in the US pursuing or living the American dream.
While practically every Filipino has a relative or close friend residing in the US, the same cannot be said of China even with its close proximity. Given a choice, the typical Filipino would prefer to visit or live in the US than in China.
Indeed, despite all the positive developments that have transpired between the Philippines and China since 2016, government efforts to pursue and nurture friendship between the two countries have not significantly lessened the negative attitude of many Filipinos toward the Chinese government.
Surveys by major polling firms showing resentment of Filipinos against Chinese intrusions in the WPS remained consistent over the years: Around seven to nearly nine out of 10 Filipinos want government to assert the Philippines’ historic victory against China in the 2016 arbitral tribunal.
The Pulse Asia poll on June 2018, for instance, revealed 73 percent of Filipinos want our rights to our Exclusive Economic Zone asserted, while a SWS survey, released at the start of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit here in November 2018, showed 84 percent “oppose the administration’s inaction in the face of China’s intrusions.”
In July 2019, during the third anniversary of the landmark ruling, the SWS survey showed 87 percent agreed with the statement, “The Philippine government should assert its rights over the islands in the West Philippine Sea as stipulated in the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.” When the fourth anniversary was marked in July last year, the SWS said seven in 10 Filipinos agreed with the same statement.
But in fairness to the former president, let’s not forget that he did make a remarkable declaration before the perfect audience, at the gathering of the family of nations.
“The Philippines affirms that commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” then President Duterte told the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2020.
“The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon,” he stressed in his message which was especially meaningful as the UN marked the 75th anniversary of its founding.
“We firmly reject attempts to undermine it. We welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for – the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition,” the President said in his stunning speech that was praised by his supporters and critics alike.
It was a shining moment then for our country in the effort to gain global support for the 2016 ruling, in our struggle to exhaust all possible means to conserve and develop our patrimony, without resorting to war.
A shining moment it was indeed to let the world know that future generations of Filipinos deserve and are entitled to the benefits of our patrimony – WPS is rich in fish, oil, gas and other mineral and aquatic resources worth several trillions of dollars when explored and developed. That shining moment may come again with this visit of Vice President Harris.
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