THE country is protecting and keeping its stake in the West Philippine Sea by balancing its relationship with superpowers in the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday. He said this as the Philippines refuses to be dragged into the rivalry between China and the United States.
“Maybe, it’s okay if the Americans are there [South China Sea], but they cannot always stay here, in South China Sea. They have to come here from their nearest base in Guam and in Okinawa and have to travel, and they have to leave. We would be left here,” the defense chief told Karen Davila of ANC’s Headstart.
“So we have to balance our relationship with each of these superpowers to protect our interests. We could not conduct exercises there with them. First, we have no equipment to draw on, our frigates are not armed and we have limited ships. So we cannot actually participate with them,” he added.
Lorenzana said maintaining relations with China and the United States, whose goal is to keep the waters of the Indo-Pacific open to international navigation, is the best way for the country to protect its interests—primarily its enjoyment of natural resources in the West Philippine Sea.
While the defense secretary does not agree with China’s labeling of the US as a “trouble maker” because of its presence in the region, he said this is just a part of the accusations and counteraccusations of both sides, and a “problem between the two superpowers.”
Lorenzana continued: “They were throwing accusations against each other, and I don’t think we should be involved in those kinds of big power rivalry,”
The country is cautious in dealing with both countries, because, as Lorenzana out it if the US would leave the region or even the South China Sea, it will be left to fend for itself.
“If they leave, we have to deal with the Chinese whether we like it or not, and they are, of course, neighbor. They are always there. So I think we have to manage our relationship with the Chinese, and that’s what the President is trying to do actually since the start of his presidency,” Lorenzana explained.
While the country could not take part in any war games with the US in the South China Sea just like other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, France and the United Kingdom, the military could do it on a smaller scale with Americans and within the country’s territory.
“We can do it [in] some other places within our territorial waters like the Sulu Sea and our other areas within the territorial waters, not in the disputed area,” Lorenzana said.
The defense secretary said that if President Duterte said he could not do anything against China, he meant it militarily.
“Really, we could not do anything. Let us accept it. Even if the Americans will back us up, we cannot do anything there because the Americans are not permanent here,” he said.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez