CAUTION SHOULD NOT PARALYZE US
of Parties in the South China Sea and, of course, the Arbitral Tribunal’s ruling. Since the ruling was released, caution has replaced the optimism that had accompanied the decision in Manila. While the ruling indeed set a key precedent in terms of clarifying the country’s rights under the purview of international law, some say President Rodrigo Duterte’s pursuit of a so- called “independent foreign policy” may imperil — if not completely compromise — the potential value of the decision.
Even so, the administration’s choice to normalize diplomatic relations with Beijing while cooling ties with its traditional ally the United States has effectively put the ruling on the back burner. Under the chairmanship of the Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) was likewise lukewarm in terms of taking China to task over its militarization of the South China Sea.
Whether this direction will bear fruit eventually is a matter of conjecture, but in the intervening months since the ruling, Chinese military buildup in the disputed waters as well as harassment of Filipino fishermen by Chinese vessels didn’t abate. Recently, a report from the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative revealed that new missile shelters and radar and communication facilities are being installed in Fiery Cross and Mischief and Subi Reefs.
There is a sense of fragile peace in the region, a peace that is undermined by what many see as China’s willful disregard and flouting of international law. A year after the ruling, perhaps it is high time to revisit and reassess the Philippines’ policy position in light of China’s actions.
Facing continued antagonism from Beijing, the country should adopt a strategy akin to Japan’s so- called multilayered security cooperation by leading the way in upholding international order.
All diplomatic avenues must be exhausted that are in promoting the rule of international law. We must protest what is unlawful, coercive, and contrary to the correct principles that govern relations between states. We should be ready to appeal to the UN General Assembly in moving towards peace, not war. Ultimately, in taking the right strategy, our government can only enhance its standing among our peers and ensure its legacy for the generations that will succeed us.