PAGBABAGO
After the several encounters between the Chinese maritime vessels and our own Philippine Coast Guard ships in the West Philippine Sea, former Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose L. Cuisia Jr. urges our government to bring the reports on the recent skirmishes to the UN. And to gather further support from the international community.
We are a forbearing people, patient to a fault. But enough is enough. It has been seven years since the 2016 UN tribunal arbitral ruling at the Hague which decided that China’s claim of historic rights to the West Philippine Sea waters is invalid; that China had engaged in environmentally harmful fishing practices and violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other treaty provisions on maritime safety.
Cuisia’s statement was a reaction to events that had happened since late 2022 and early this year, among them, the confrontation between two Philippine Coast Guard vessels with the Chinese Navy. The latter was accused of engaging in “dangerous maneuvers” around Second Thomas Shoal, a long-running flashpoint between the two countries. Another incident took place in the Ayungin Shoal where Philippine Coast Guard ships were intercepted by two Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
Then there was the statement issued by China – that “it was gravely concerned and strongly disputes US-Philippine stand on the West Philippine Sea,” following the affirmation made by the United States regarding its commitment to stand with the Philippines against any form of coercion in the West Philippine Sea, a move that China opposes. As China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin noted, the joint statement of the United States and the Philippines misrepresents the legitimate and lawful maritime law enforcement activities of China. Wenbin also slammed the Arbitral Tribunal Award which upholds the Philippines’ rights over the WPS, claiming the ruling is “illegal, null and void, and gravely violates international laws including UNCLOS.” It further maintained its position against the Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA) sites saying that the US is only using the EDCA for its geopolitical interest and to contain China.
This concern was aggravated last February when the US announced the designation of four new EDCA sites. Although the US had clarified that it is not seeking permanent basing in the country and had explained that it would only engage in rotational activities which is an essential component of training as well as provide quick response to humanitarian concerns, it still has to assure some sectors of our society who are not convinced about its plan for expansion. Bayan, a multisectoral network opposes EDCA and called on lawmakers from the Senate to review the agreement which is seen as a response to a geopolitical issue concerning Taiwan. That we must not allow our country to be used as a staging ground for any US military intervention in the region, was the position of Bayan and allies, saying that allowing use of our facilities will drag us into potential conflicts that are not aligned with our national interests.
Erratum: In last week column, we cited a report published in another paper which erroneously attributed the Department of Education’s draft curricula to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2). EDCOM 2 did not participate in the curriculum review which was prepared by DepEd and the Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre. The review was done much earlier than January 2023 which was the time EDCOM 2 was convened. (My email, [email protected])