Strengthen relationships

The Philippines and its Coast Guard continue to experience harassment in the West Philippine Sea from the Chinese Coast Guard, despite being favored by the historic 2016 ruling of the International Permanent Court of Arbitration.

It seems that the Chinese government is still deaf, even after their claims for maritime expansion in the said waters were voided.

Their maritime activities seem to be expanding and even intensifying as the months pass, to the point that even our own Coast Guard’s resupply operation has been jeopardized. Their rough and forced action towards our troops is a clear manifestation of their so-called supremacy over the said territorial dispute, which shows our incapacity to defend our own waters.

The Filipino people are aware that China is a global superpower when it comes to almost everything, including their military forces. Hence, the best that the country can do is to strengthen its relationship with other SEA countries and even its alliance with Japan and United States and hope that they will also defend our beloved Philippines when our worst kryptonite come to haunt us. — Ryne Rosales, Bantayan Island, Cebu