A vigorous national defense cannot exist without strong, security alliances with other nations. It is nice to have the assurance that those foolish enough to threaten our country would be confronted not only by our own military but those of other nations who are our allies.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday repeated a previous commitment by the US to “stand with Southeast Asian claimants” in the face of continuing aggressive behavior by China in the contested waters of the South China Sea.
Blinken told Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. that the US will defend the Philippines against attacks and it rejects China’s claims in the South China Sea “to the extent they exceed the maritime zones that China is permitted to claim under international law.”
He stressed the importance of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and “its clear application to armed attacks against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea.”
This unwavering assurance from our country’s oldest security ally is commendable, especially as it comes after China passed a law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels even in maritime waters that it disputes, including in the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese military and paramilitary ships abound.
It is about time we strengthen our strategic and diplomatic relationship and our treaty alliance with the US. The Philippines has a mutual defense pact with the US—not a provisional arrangement but a treaty—and as a sovereign nation it has an inherent right to use this treaty in the interest of peace and security. Otherwise, why have a treaty at all when we are not prepared to invoke and honor it.
The Mutual Defense Treaty with the US may not be an end-all solution to help peacefully resolve whatever tensions there are in the South China Sea, but it is a powerful leverage nonetheless.
China, by its own admission, is bothered by US sailings near the islands it illegally occupies and controls. Two US carrier groups conducted joint exercises and sailed near Chinese-controlled islands in the South China Sea last week, drawing immediate reactions from the Chinese government.
The US helps keep the peace with these freedom of navigation operations. The willingness of the US to challenge Chinese attempts to restrict access or limit lawful navigation in the South China Sea prevents China from being more aggressive. This is reassuring to the Philippines and other countries in the region that have been victims of China’s frequent maritime bullying.
The government should also rescind its notice for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. The unilateral cancellation of the two-decade old VFA was made in an angry response after the US canceled the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa. The withdrawal period was extended twice, and the second suspension will end on August 6, 2021.
Rather than cancelling the VFA, it should instead be reviewed and renewed, with better terms and concessions. Rather than sniveling and being skeptical about US support, the government should test it and compel the US to define and concretize it, to help boost the country’s maritime defense potentials.
The government should focus on the framework and the deliverables to make the defense treaty and the VFA favorable to our country. There is nothing wrong with exploring all possible collective security arrangements that could bolster our measly military strength, expand our defense options and divide our costs and risks against any direct or indirect aggression. This includes the Asean’s stronger show of solidarity on South China Sea issues, which we pointed out in a previous editorial.
But President Duterte too must show his own resolve and not leave the wimpy impression, made more obvious by his public statements, that he is afraid and unwilling to confront China, even on issues when the Philippines has irrefutable sovereignty.
Last week, Duterte kept up his defeatist attitude, as he went off-script during his speech before Philippine Air Force troops in Pampanga, and said he “cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because we are avoiding any confrontation, a confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time.”
China takes its cue and is further emboldened by such cowardice. Hearing such words from the President is also discouraging to many Filipinos, especially as China’s boats have been having their way on our traditional fishing grounds, shooing away our fishermen in our own waters, even confiscating their goods; and even as Chinese dredging ships have been conducting illegal activities in our country, pillaging our natural resources and destroying the environment.
We should stand up to China’s bullying. We should not be cowed into silence, more so, into statements of absolute surrender. How can we expect our allies to stand with us if we refuse to stand up for ourselves?
Image credits: Jimbo Albano
1 comment
The problem with the 1987 Constitution is that it removed the terms “by historical and title” claims of our National Territory. It removed our charter statement in the 1973 Constitution.President Duterte has problem with that now. We should not be dependent with other countries instead we should be prepared to defend ourselves.