What can we expect?

According to a report from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), about 240 Chinese ships were still lingering within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) last week. The NTF-WPS does not believe these are ordinary fishing vessels but Chinese Maritime Militia pretending to be fishermen.

Maybe there are a few fishing boats out there that do unrestricted fishing and harvesting giant clams which are illegal. Our fishermen are already complaining their catch is dwindling due to the sheer number of Chinese vessels that prevent them from going to their usual fishing grounds. Chinese Coast Guard ships and four warships are also present and pose a threat to anyone who attempts to approach the area. There has already been an incident where Chinese warships chased a ship that ferried an ABS-CBN news team.

The DFA has fired another protest against China's actions in the West Philippine Sea. But China doesn't care how many protests we send. What was the result of summoning the Chinese Ambassador by the DFA to explain China's intrusion into our EEZ? Nothing? This is exactly why this is not the time to push away a strong, longtime ally, the United States. We all know about President Duterte's anger towards the US but the interests of the country should come first, right?

Fortunately, the Balikatan exercises resumed this year. It was canceled last year because of the pandemic. The exercises have been scaled down and will observe strict health protocols. Remember this is one of the exercises Duterte wanted to be canceled. On the other hand, a powerful fleet of American warships is also in the region serving as a warning to China’s aggressive actions. A lawmaker recommends having joint maritime exercises with the US along with patrolling the area. It is clear no matter how many times Duterte says we should be friendly with China, they are not exhibiting the actions of a friend. The United States and Japan are also in talks about the Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Japan and China also have disputes over the Senkaku Islands. America likewise stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Japan on this issue. I will not be surprised if China will still be belligerent. Beijing’s claim that the presence of American warships only brings instability to the region is purely a self-serving statement. The creation of artificial islands over areas still in dispute is what brings instability to the region.

And the Palace' reaction? Duterte is supposedly handling it privately with Roque adding it is not covered by the freedom of information. A preemptive statement to keep critics away. What else can we expect with a president enthralled with China?