PH urged to defend WPS while keeping diplomacy with China
MANILA, Philippines – Diplomacy remains the best approach amid ongoing tensions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and recent word wars between Chinese diplomats and Filipino lawmakers, experts say in a forum Saturday morning.
The News Forum on Saturday, Jan. 31, at South Triangle, Quezon City attended by Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, Manila Rep. Joel Chua and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, and national security expert Professor Dr. Sherwin Ona.
Ona, who is a De La Salle University professor and a strong advocate for a tougher Philippine stance in the West Philippine Sea and strengthening alliances, said that the best route is to counter China’s disinformation campaigns and adopt a multifaceted strategy to protect Philippine sovereignty.
The issue with China at a glance
Earlier this month, the Philippine Senate condemned taunting statements from the Chinese embassy Manila against Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson Jay Tarriela and Filipino lawmakers.
The word war prompted the Senate to declare Ambassador Jing Quan a persona non grata.
To which Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines Ji Ling Peng, in a statement, replied, “There is but one person who has the authority to ask Ambassador Jing to leave, and that is President Marcos.”
“If anyone intends to declare any Chinese diplomat persona non grata, please do include myself and the entire 12-member media affairs and public diplomacy team. As a team, we stay or we leave, together,” he added.
Malacañang clarified that despite the embassy hinting at leaving if declared persona non grata, Marcos said he has no such plans.
READ: Marcos rejects calls to declare Chinese envoy persona non grata – Palace
Filipino perspective on the issue
OCTA Research fellow and UP Professor Ranjit Rye, who was also called to speak at the forum, said that according to their findings, majority of the Filipinos (60 percent) believe that diplomacy is the number one measure that the government has to pursue to solve the problem on the West Philippine Sea.
“Majority of our countrymen believe that we should assert our rights under international law on the West Philippine Sea,” Rye said during the forum.
He mentioned that eight out of 10 Filipinos, while remaining very patriotic in their readiness to fight for the Philippines, are equally non-discriminative of Chinese and Fil-Chi nationals, which shows the Filipino’s maturity over the issue.
“In fact, the clarity of our fellowmen is different from the clarity of the political class because sometimes, their perception is divided. But for the Filipinos, it is crystal clear: the West Philippine Sea is important, it is ours, it needs to be defended, and we need to assert our rights. But we need to do so in a diplomatic way,” Rye said.
Rye said he is hopeful that data like this will bleed into policymaking. He noted that the WPS must be protected while emphasizing that it is “not an end-all, be-all’ of the country’s relationship with China.
Ona reaffirmed this and said that while the issue on WPS must be taken seriously, there are still cultural and economic aspects at play so it is smart to remain open to these aspects, especially with the ASEAN summit coming.
Proactively defend territory
Ona stressed that the recent aggressive statements from the Chinese Embassy may signal a broader strategic objective beyond mere rhetoric.
He noted that while the US, Japan, and other Philippine allies can assist, the country must also assert its own interests and closely monitor developments, particularly in sensitive areas like Baho de Masinloc and the West Philippine Sea.
READ: China’s ‘nature reserve’ in WPS: Playbook for expansionism
“Because of the turmoil they are experiencing and their weak economy, they might be trying to score some brownie points […] The easiest target for them is really the West Philippine Sea,” Ona said, emphasizing the need for vigilance.
He added that the country should remain engaged diplomatically while being ready to pursue more proactive measures to protect its territory. /cb
