By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday underscored the need for the US to keep its security focus in the Indo-Pacific region, describing Washington as a vital partner amid increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea (SCS).
He said his government is “closely watching” the situation unfolding in Ukraine and other flashpoints, pointing out that a deteriorating security condition in those regions may take the US’ attention away in the disputed waterway and undermine regional stability.
“We are aware that the United States has much on its plate, both geopolitically and economically,” he told a security forum in Manila.
Manila and Washington are close allies, with their security ties anchored on a 1950s Mutual Defense Treaty that obligates both nations to come into the aid of each other in case of an armed attack in the Pacific region, including the contested South China Sea.
“It will be crucial to the free and open nature of our region that your vigor, inventiveness and resilience… continue to play a leading role in nurturing a strong and peaceful Indo-Pacific,” said Mr. Marcos.
He said he sees the importance in keeping Manila’s ties with Washington, as the alliance gains greater significance amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and emerging threats in the region.
“Today, the most significant threat to the peace and stability we strive for is right here in our own neighborhood,” he said, alluding to China. “This is not just an opinion. It is a fact.”
“I continue to believe that the Pacific remains the most consequential region for the world, and we, the Philippines, are at the forefront of it all,” he added.
The South China Sea has become a regional flashpoint as Beijing continues to assert sovereignty over almost the entire sea, a vital global trade route that is believed to be rich in undersea and oil deposits.
The Philippines and China have repeatedly locked horns over maritime features that both nations claim in the disputed waters, leading to confrontations that involve the use of water cannons and repeated sideswipes by Chinese vessels against Philippine ships.
“These times are immensely challenging,” Mr. Marcos said.
“Our government vessels and fisherfolk continue to be harassed in our own waters, and we remain on the receiving end of illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous actions in the South China Sea,” he added.
A United Nations-backed tribunal voided China’s expansive claims in 2016. Beijing, however, has rejected the ruling and continues to assert presence in disputed regions, like the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.
Mr. Marcos said Philippine-US ties have also reached a “necessary and natural progression” towards diversifying towards multilateral engagements to better address security challenges.
“Today’s challenges are not bound by borders. Because of that, cooperation is absolutely essential,” he said.
The Philippines has increasingly leaned on multinational cooperation to shore up its maritime defenses. It has increasingly participated in joint patrols and multilateral naval exercises in the South China Sea, often alongside US forces and other regional partners.
‘GEOPOLITICAL IMPORTANCE’
The Philippines’ strategic location at the heart of the disputed waters gives it “geopolitical importance” among its allies, said Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation.
“We have major geospatial importance in the region,” he said on the sidelines of the security forum after Mr. Marcos’ keynote.
Mr. Cabalza said the government should intensify efforts to become self-reliant in defense, arguing that such a posture would enhance its credibility, strengthen deterrence and send a clear warning to potential adversaries.
“If we are so dependent on the US, then the opponents will see that we are weak,” he said.
