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PAG-ASA ISLAND — Residents of this brave, little island welcomed the visit of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and top officials from the military's Western Command Sunday to join them in celebrating the 10th anniversary of a landmark ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.
As Manila prepares for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping two weeks from now, Beijing steps up its control of the Spratlys islands in South China Sea, the latest of which is the announcement that they have started the operation of a marine observation center in the artificial islands that they have built in areas that the Philippines and four other countries claim.
Mischief Reef – lost under Ramos presidencyScarborough Shoal – lost under Benigno Aquino III presidencySpratlys including Sandy Cay- surrendered to China under Duterte presidency
10 years, 10 stories.
In order to answer how best to secure Philippine interests in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and West Philippine Sea (WPS), we should put it first in the context of where Philippine policy is. That policy, sadly, is both fragmented and incoherent, at best.
While the public was engrossed with the scandal of how 605 kilos of shabu from China worth P6.5 billion slipped through the Bureau of Custom and entertained by the Bautista vs Bautista family feud with a cameo role by President Duterte, a chunk of Philippine territory was being taken over by China.
The agreed framework for a Code on South China Sea was the most important achievement of the recently-concluded meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which segued to more meetings with its dialogue partners and the Asean Regional Forum.
Asked during his press conference last Wednesday when the talks about the joint exploration in Philippine territory that is also being claimed by China and other countries started, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano recalled the meeting of the late Deng Xiaoping with then President Corazon Aquino.
From the fragmented information about the resumption of talks on joint exploration with China in the disputed parts of the Spratlys, what is emerging is a repeat of jumbo loans that the administration of Gloria Arroyo obtained from the Chinese government in 2004 in exchange for agreeing to allow China to explore within the country’s economic exclusive zone.
The political winds have indeed shifted.
