Experts have urged the Philippine government to conduct joint patrols with the country's allied nations during the next resupply mission to troops aboard BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.
Their suggestion came as China continues to stand to its and has vowed to defend its illegal claim over the West Philippine Sea, where the atoll is located.
Former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, who led the Philippine victory over the West Philippine Sea through the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, said we can follow Malaysia and Indonesia that have been teaming up with troops from the US and Australia to survey and conduct naval drills in their respective exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea. Their maritime activities have been successful despite warning from the Chinese Coast Guard.
"We can have joint patrols with the US at the same time. We can calibrate it. Remember, Malaysia and Indonesia were able to survey and drill despite warnings from the Chinese Coast Guard that the area falls within the nine-dash line… They sent their Navy together with the survey ship and the drilling ship, and, at the same time, the US and Australia conducted naval drills in the same area, that's for Malaysia. For Indonesia, the US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan happened to pass by,” Carpio said at a forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute on Thursday.
"The Americans are there. They did the favor to the Malaysians and Indonesians without a defense treaty. And the Australians also did the same to Malaysia. Why are they doing this? Because they want to preserve freedom of navigation… We can do all these things. It's up to us if we have the political will," he added.
The Ayungin Shoal, where the Philippine military's BRP Sierra Madre is beached, is one of the flashpoints—or the one that might cause trouble—in the Philippines-China relationship.
"Ayungin Shoal is about 20 nautical miles from Mischief Reef. The arbitral tribunal ruled that Mischief Reef is a low-tide feature forming part of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines. Despite this, China illegally reclaimed Mischief Reef and converted it into the largest air and naval base of China in the Spratlys. Because of Ayungin Shoal’s proximity to Mischief Reef, China wants to seize Ayungin Shoal from the Philippines," he said.
Former US Air Force official and security expert Col. Raymond Powell said the Philippines may partner up with like-minded nations as one of its leverages in dealing with an "extremely large and aggressive country like China."
Powell said the Ayungin Shoal is the most vulnerable outpost in the entire South China Sea, and needs to be reinforced.
"It's vulnerable not just because of how few people are there and their inability to defend themselves but the fact that their outpost is deteriorating and will ultimately succumb to time and the weather and the elements," he said.
"That will happen unless the Philippines, with its US allies are able to come up with some other solution to repairing or replacing, somehow lifting, circumventing, and defeating the on-going Chinese blockade," he added.