Thick fog over the West Philippine Sea

A SPECIFIC problem with China and with some of the nation’s defense officials on the issue of de-escalating the tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea has forced Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, the multi-awarded commander of the AFP Western Command (Wescom), to go on indefinite leave, leaving

certain questions unanswered about the Philippine Coast Guard’s rotation and resupply mission (ROREM) to the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded warship that stands as a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

Carlos has not been heard from since he went on leave on May 5, following his low-level talks with Chinese officials on how to de-escalate the tension in the area. No one is on board to authoritatively answer questions about his talks. From what we could responsibly gather, the proposal to de-escalate the tension in Ayungin came from the Chinese in December 2023, which proposed that each side deploy only one private boat and one coast guard vessel in the next resupply mission.

According to our sources, Colonel Lee, the military attache of the Chinese Embassy, had insisted on talking to Carlos about the proposed arrangement, and Carlos had to clear everything with his bosses — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., National Security Adviser Ed Año and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.— before sitting down with him. It was specifically Secretary Año, according to our sources, who spoke to Teodoro and President Marcos Jr. about the Chinese proposal and gave Carlos the go-ahead to talk to Lee. After Carlos was cleared to talk to Lee, the latter reportedly suggested that Carlos also talk to the Chinese deputy chief of mission, who insisted on it, our sources revealed.

Carlos reportedly tried to point out that the proposal to de-escalate was coming from the Chinese rather than the Philippine side and that he had no authority to discuss anything beyond the proposed arrangements for the next resupply mission. Nevertheless, Lee insisted, so Carlos had to get a new set of clearances. Año reportedly spoke to the President, who reportedly said he also wanted to “de-escalate.”

Carlos talked to the Chinese as instructed, the sources said, but despite the agreement to limit the mission to one supply boat and one escort on each side, the Chinese sent two coast guard vessels and one militia to the February 2024 mission. This prompted Carlos to recommend going back to the old arrangement of two supply boats and two escorts during the next mission, the sources said. The March 5 resupply mission resulted in four minor injuries on the Philippine side.

All throughout, Carlos complied with his standing orders to the letter, and gave up nothing of value to the Chinese side. It appears, however, that in one conversation between a top Philippine defense official and a top US diplomat, the former was asked, “Why are you talking to the Chinese?” The defense official reportedly denied any knowledge of it and promptly turned the heat on Carlos. A very strong message was sent to Carlos, who still has over a year in active service, suggesting that he should retire. So, for following the orders of his superiors to the letter, he now has to be sacrificed. Why?

Is it because this officer has dared to dream of peace replacing the climate of war being forced upon our country and our region? Because the real problem for our leaders is how to accelerate the pressure for war against China, rather than the opposite? Apparently, our external allies can see nothing to be gained from trying to put an end to the water-cannoning incidents in the shoal. The same playbook being used in Gaza and in Ukraine is being used here; there is a careful avoidance of a ceasefire that could lead to peaceful negotiations. A de-escalation of the tension in the South China Sea is clearly not an option for the hawks and has to be thumbed down.

Still, Carlos does not deserve a rotten deal. He is the most senior officer in the Navy lineal roster and is top-caliber executive material. Aside from having graduated from the Annapolis Academy in Maryland, he also studied at the Naval Command College in Nanjing, China, which gives him a balanced exposure to the competing superpowers.

A bemedaled ship captain and naval aviator, he has served in various posts in the AFP, the Navy and the Department of National Defense, doing logistics, procurement, resource management, modernization and operations. He is also a published author. He has served as head executive assistant to two defense secretaries (Teodoro during his earlier stint and Norberto Gonzales, both under then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) and was twice honored with the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award by the Civil Service Commission — in 2017 for Region 4A and in 2020 for the National Capital Region.

As Wescom commander, covering the province of Palawan, the Kalayaan Island Group and the West Philippine Sea, Carlos is one of the top Philippine military officers, if not indeed the top military officer, most exposed to the day-to-day problems of the South China Sea. Together with Brawner, he barely escaped being water-cannoned by the Chinese coast guard in one of the resupply missions to Sierra Madre. But this has not made him less keen on exploring the resources of diplomacy to try to find a solution to the South China Sea conflict.

While some of his superiors tried to chide Carlos for wanting to de-escalate the tension in the area, the PMA Makatao Class of 1989, headed by its class president, retired Army lieutenant general Ernesto Torres, issued an unsolicited statement expressing full support for him as “a distinguished military officer of unswerving integrity, patriotism and honorable service throughout his professional career.”

In advocating for Carlos, the statement said, “We emphasize his exemplary character as a graduate of the US Naval Academy and a TOPS (The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers) awardee, whose dedication to duty, honor and country “exemplifies the highest standards of military service and leadership, reflecting the core principles of the AFP.”

While remaining on armed duty, Carlos has tried to advance the opportunities for peaceful engagement with China. This has won the respect of many of his countrymen; it would be quite a shame if his superiors did not recognize its merits at all.