Security Adviser Eduardo Año FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, together with the United States and Japan, vowed to further enhance the trilateral cooperation on defense and security capabilities in the coming months following China’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea.
This agreement was reached during a trilateral phone call held Wednesday by National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año along with his US and Japan counterparts, NSA Jake Sullivan and NSA Akiba Takeo, respectively.
“The three NSAs also discussed trilateral efforts to enhance cooperation on: maritime security through conduct of joint patrols and capacity-building on maritime domain awareness, among others; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection; and economic security,” the National Security Council’s readout said on Thursday.
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“The three NSAs agreed to continue and sustain coordination to ensure the implementation of these trilateral initiatives in the next few months,” it added.
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This communication was made in the heels of China’s twice-in-a-row deployment of water cannons last week.
On Dec. 9 (Saturday), the China Coast Guard (CCG) fired water cannons anew at civilian ships conducting a humanitarian mission for Filipino fishermen off Scarborough Shoal.
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Also, the used water cannon on Dec. 13 (Sunday) against the boat used in a resupply mission in BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
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China asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including the WPS, through its now ten-dash line which used to be a nine dash line.
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In 2013, the Philippines questioned China’s nine-dash line before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, but an international tribunal ruling issued in 2016 effectively dismissed Beijing’s sweeping demarcation while ruling heavily in favor of Manila.
Año meanwhile, thanked his counterparts for their “unwavering support to the Philippines lawful exercise of maritime rights” within its exclusive economic zone in the western section of its maritime area.