Johnson Reef, called Mabini by the Philippines, at the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Who would have thought that the tiny Philippines would be a thorn in the side of giant China?
Magdalo Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo said the Philippines’ geographic location is in the way of China’s defense strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, giving its ally, the United States, a base from which to counter China.
“Our strategic location has an impact on China’s establishment of its nine-dash line and any strategy to counter China will always factor in the Philippines,” Acedillo said in a recent interview, referencing China’s claim to 90 percent of the South China Sea.
“From the point of view of China’s strategy, we are the biggest thorn in its side because our location gives any [allied] country the upper hand in deterring the move of China toward the Pacific and we are getting in the way of [China’s] intentions,” Acedillo said.
For China “to feel secure, it must ensure that its enemies are outside the second island-chain,” which is nearer the Pacific, and no one would be able to hold the line in the first chain, he said.
The Philippines lies right in the middle of the two island-chains, while Japan is at their northern tip.
“China is not looking for war. But it is looking for oil, fish and geopolitical strength,” said Acedillo, a former Air Force lieutenant.
Tokyo talks
The West Philippine Sea and China’s increased aggressiveness in the region “will be high up” on the agenda of the talks between President Aquino and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Tuesday, Acedillo said.
“[But] whether official Philippine and Japan spokespersons admit [the island-chain strategy] is on the agenda … is another matter. They might still decline to admit it to avoid a backlash from China,” he said.
In the face of China’s military might, the Philippines “will have to rely on the security guarantee” presented by the United States, Acedillo said.
“We should very well recognize that not because we want to be subservient to the US interest but it is for the good of the region that we should be a reliable security partner of the US in providing the security guarantee in Asia and the Pacific,” he said.
The Philippine government, he said, must have “strong political will” to do more in protecting the country’s territories in the West Philippine Sea that China claims.
“We have to be able to do more,” Acedillo said.
Failure to respond
In a privilege speech two weeks ago, Acedillo criticized the government for failing to come up “with a sensible strategy to face Chinese aggression,” from the time the Chinese first claimed Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) in 1995 until it seized control of Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) two years ago.
He said that it was not even because of the “inability of planners to formulate a strategy.”
“The problem lies with interdepartmental turfing, rank naivete, and glaring shortsightedness that had resulted in the Philippines steadily losing its territories and our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) in the West Philippine Sea,” Acedillo said.
He criticized the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for blocking initiatives to increase the Philippines’ presence in the West Philippine Sea “so as not to provoke the Chinese.”
Acedillo said that in 1999, shortly after the BRP Sierra Madre was run aground on Ayungin Shoal, there was a plan to have another Philippine Navy ship installed as a garrison on Panatag Shoal.
“That was not to be, as the plan to send a vessel there in 1999 was scuttled at the last moment by the DFA,” Acedillo said.
All bark, no bite
He said the manner by which the DFA was pursuing the Philippines’ arbitration case against China in the United Nations was another “exercise [of its] naivete.”
Acedillo said that while he supported the arbitration case, the DFA must not “tie the hands of all our maritime and naval agencies [to prevent them from doing] anything that would jeopardize our pursuit of the case.”
He said the government must send more Coast Guard vessels to mark the Philippines’ territory in the West Philippine Sea and be as assertive as China.
While the Philippines follows the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which adheres to a status quo in the disputed territories, “our lack of action to strengthen or improve our installations in the area has only sent a clear message to the Chinese and that is we are all bark and no bite,” Acedillo noted.
“And this has only encouraged Beijing to move more aggressively as they know we will not act,” he added.
He urged the government to take a more decisive action in protecting the country’s territory.