IN ANOTHER show of patriotism and defiance against China’s continuing harassment of Filipino vessels in the West Philippines Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos reiterated the country will not cede any territory amid the territorial dispute and will continue to adhere to international rules-based order and strengthen alliances with its partners.
“As I have said
before, and I will say again, the Philippines will not give up a single square
inch of our territory to any foreign power. The law is clear as defined by
UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Award on the South China Sea
Arbitration,” he said during a recent Daniel Inouye Speaker Series at the
Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu.
Marcos was
referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also called
the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, an international
agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime
activities.
The Hague-based decision,
constituted under the UNCLOS, ruled that the claim of historic rights to
resources in areas falling within this invisible demarcation “had no basis in
law and is without legal effect.” It also upheld the Philippines' sovereign
rights and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone which Beijing flatly
rejected.
“Supported by
the rules-based international order and our growing partnerships, both
time-tested and new ones, we will insist on the preservation of the sovereignty
and integrity of the country, while working closely with international partners
in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral settings in developing rules and
processes to address these challenges,” Marcos said.
He also met with
Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco on the sidelines of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' gathering in an effort to peacefully
resolve the tense situation in the West Philippine Sea. “Essentially, we tried
to come up with mechanisms to lower the tensions in the South China
Sea," Nikkei Asia quoted Marcos as saying following the summit he
initiated with Xi.
He noted that
the maritime dispute with China “should not be the defining element of our
relationship,” but added that problems remain and the two sides need to keep
communicating. “I do not think anybody wants to go to war,” Marcos, a former
member of the Philippine Army Scout Ranger, said.
Beijing claims
sovereignty over most of the resource-rich South China Sea, including parts of
the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines
and Vietnam.
Just
recently, a Chinese coast guard ship fired a water cannon on a
Filipino boat that was attempting to resupply a small military contingent on a
grounded World War II warship at Ayungin Shoal in the waterway. The
Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said that, as of Nov. 7, the country
had this year filed 58 diplomatic protests against Beijing, according to Nikkei
Asia.
Marcos said he
appreciates the concrete manifestations of the U.S.’ and other partners’
support for the Philippines’ position, as he stressed that factual messaging in
support of lawful exercise of rights under international law demonstrates the
strength of the alliances.
But aside from
those partnerships, he stressed the need to upgrade the Philippines’ defense
and civilian law enforcement capabilities not only to defend itself but also to
enable it to become a reliable partner in regional security.
“That will
require greater substantial infusions into funding streams needed for our armed
forces and coast guard modernization plans, including lines of effort to
enhance cyber cooperation,” he said, expressing optimism that through recent
engagements with American counterparts, including U.S. legislators, the US and
the Philippines could elevate their partnership.
Over the past
weeks, he said both teams have been working on a bilateral planning and
tracking mechanism that is expected to fast track concrete and substantial
capability development investments and activities to meet the shared defense
and security objectives over the next five years. (Mindanao Examiner)
