It has been nine years since the Permanent Court of Arbitration decided in favor of the Philippines in the matter of its Exclusive Economic Zone in the West Philippine Sea. In the historic ruling, the arbitral court invalidated the nine-dash line claim of the Chinese and etched the legitimacy of the Philippines position in international law.
Unfortunately, the verdict came just a few days after then-President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office. As history bears, Mr. Duterte was first to play down the significance of the PCA’s decision. Notorious for his friendship with the Chinese, the former president — now incarcerated in the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity – showed a glaring bias for Chinese interests. Despite China’s refusal to recognize the jurisdiction of the PCA and in effect its decision, and despite its persistent bullying of our vessels and fisherfolk, Mr. Duterte chose not to speak up about the matter, saying that we are far too inferior to China to even contemplate going to war with it.
Such a position made Duterte’s promise of jet skiing in the West Philippine Sea bearing the Philippine flag a laughing matter, an example of the tough talk that never quite materialized.
China’s bullying in the West Philippine Sea persisted even after a new administration had taken over. This time, however, the government is more assertive of our valid and legitimate position. We have tweaked our defense posture so that we can address the external threat in a more focused, deliberate way. We have also gained the support of many nations who also find China’s acts objectionable and disrespectful of international law.
Alas, there remain many — our compatriots included — who find fault in our efforts to assert our legally established rights in the West Philippine Sea. They portray the issue as Philippine subservience to US interests, and warn that our country is a mere pawn in the bigger US-versus-China narrative. They accuse our officials working with the US in beefing up our defense as being American lackeys, acting only upon the behest of the US.
But asserting our claim in the West Philippine Sea is not in anybody’s interest but our own.
It was the Philippines that emerged victorious in the arbitration case. It is the Philippines’ sovereignty and integrity that are being attacked relentlessly by the Chinese every time they send out vessels that intimidate our people, or engage in propaganda that twists the narrative and portrays them as victims instead of aggressors. It is the Philippines receiving wide support from the international community – not from just the US. This is our struggle, our people whose lives and livelihood are in peril.
Those trying to muddle the issue are resorting to binaries or gross oversimplifications. But what should be simple and clear is this: the WPS belongs to the Philippines, and efforts to protect and defend what is ours serve our own interests and not anybody else’s.
May the succeeding months and years see greater citizen appreciation of this pursuit, and may our own officials no longer betray us in terms of whose interests they choose to champion.
