Last Friday Dr. Aileen Baviera of the University of the Philippines Asian Center delivered a public lecture on the impact of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) maritime dispute on domestic stakeholders.
Hers was the first presentation from this year’s batch of UP President Edgardo J. Angara fellows—UP scholars and researchers awarded individual grants to study some key policy issues. Her lecture primarily centered on how the ongoing maritime disputes have affected defense and law-enforcement agencies, including the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), PNP Maritime Group and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Through interviews and focus group discussions, Baviera found that many of the frontline agencies’ concerns relate to their capability to deal with issues, given the mismatch between their respective mandates and resources placed at their disposal.
These frontline agencies also are faced with a lack of clarity on the nature and geographic scope of their missions, as well as unclear rules of engagement and “gray zones” created by the activities of foreign forces. For instance, there is uncertainty on whether the PCG or the BFAR should intervene if Chinese fishermen are the ones encroaching on the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone. The confusion is confounded by what Baviera described as the “immaturity” of our maritime governance bureaucracy, demonstrated by lack of central guidance on policy and strategy.
Alarmingly, a deeper ambiguity is felt by local government units (LGUs)—particularly in Palawan, Zambales and Pangasinan. Some LGUs, Baviera said, appear to be disinterested and disengaged from the country’s broader foreign-policy goals, preferring to toss the maritime disputes to the national government—even though they are in the best position to address the negative effects of the disputes on the ground.
The most seriously affected appears to be fisherfolk. For instance, one National Coast Watch Center study estimated that up to 50 percent of the local fishermen in Masinloc, Zambales—which is very close to Bajo de Masinloc—lost their livelihood, with many having to rely on food rations provided by the municipal government, some even placing the blame on the Philippine government.
This stakeholder analysis points up to the need for a clearer command-and-control setup. As Beijing has openly expressed it will disregard whatever ruling of the Permanent Court of Abritration, the next administration must urgently prepare the domestic constituency to tackle the eventuality.
E-mail: angara.ed@gmail.com.