West PH Sea: Manila, Tokyo vow closer maritime ties amid tensions

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Japan said Tuesday they would strengthen maritime cooperation amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and disputes in the West Philippine Sea. 

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said at a Stratbase ADR forum in Makati City that Manila’s approach combines “principled restraint, coupled with resolve.” 

He emphasized that the country would assert its maritime claims “through peaceful and lawful means” under the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone. 

Beijing continues to ignore the 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters.

Japan’s envoy to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, said closer coordination between Manila and Tokyo is no longer optional but a “requirement,” describing the partnership as a “natural necessity” for ensuring regional stability and supporting a rules-based order. 

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“This partnership is not only about economics; it is about ensuring stability, upholding international law, and building resilience in the region,” Endo remarked during the same event.

Former associate justice of the Supreme Court Antonio Carpio said the continued presence of US and allied navies in contested waters effectively enforces the 2016 arbitral award. 

“Every time the US and its allies sail in the West Philippine Sea … that is enforcement,” he said, urging Manila to pursue additional legal remedies, including potential new arbitral cases over overlapping extended continental shelf claims.

Moreover, Stratbase Institute president Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said broader coordination is essential to safeguarding the region’s rules-based order. 

He emphasized that defending Philippine sovereignty requires multi-sectoral partnerships to strengthen economic resilience, security cooperation, and strategic alliances.

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These priorities are reflected in growing defense and security agreements between the Philippines and Japan, including the Reciprocal Access Agreement in 2024 and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement in January 2026. 

Endo also highlighted upcoming trilateral and quadrilateral exercises with the United States and Australia, including the next Balikatan drills, which will, for the first time, include Japanese combat troops. /dl