A change of tone

President Duterte's tone seems to have changed. Last Wednesday, he warned that any country conducting fishing or research at the Philippine Rise without the permission of the government will be risking war. A battalion from the Philippine Marines has already been sent to protect the Philippine Rise. This is to stress that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights in the area. Finally, a tougher stance regarding Philippine territorial issues.

The discovery that China has named five undersea features at the Philippine Rise did not sit well with some lawmakers and many citizens. Obviously the Chinese surveyed the area without the knowledge of the government, and then submitted the proposal to name the features to an international body, which approved them. The Palace tried to downplay the issue, with Presidential Spokesman Roque trying not to give importance and significance to Chinese names. Still the issue sparked an outrage, especially in social media. Hence the now tougher stance. Having said that about the Philippine Rise, what if a Chinese vessel enters the area without permission? Will they be able to say that they are in international waters and ignore Duterte's threats of war? Will they call his bluff, knowing we cannot win a war against them?

As for the South China Sea, according to Duterte, China has offered a joint exploration between them and the Philippines, to research and search for oil in the ocean.

Duterte reads this a coownership of the area with

China, which is much better than going to war over it. Duterte has stated repeatedly that we cannot win a war with China, obviously. I do not know if China agrees to the co-ownership of the South China Sea. There has been no official announcement from Beijing. In fact, the most heavily armed Chinese Coast Guard vessel has been spotted a few miles off Pagasa Island. I wonder why? Why would the Chinese send a vessel with that kind of firepower near our island?

I don't really know if a joint exploration would work out. I recall Duterte himself revealing that Chinese President Xi Jinping himself said that if the Philippines were to drill for oil in the Spratlys, there would be war. If the Chinese would provide all the machinery, maybe even the manpower to drill for oil, why would they suddenly share it with us? And then there are those who insist that any exploration within the country's exclusive economic zone must be done by the Philippines alone. While I laud the president's incentive to be much more protective of the Philippine Rise, the issues surrounding the South China Sea are still blurred, at least to my eyes. The Chinese may see a clearer picture in the sense that they own most of the South China Sea. Otherwise, why would they build all those artificial islands that mimic civilian structures? The announcement that a joint exploration, which Duterte believes also means co-ownership, must be written in black and white. Just to be sure.

‘The announcement that a

joint exploration, which Duterte believes also means co-ownership, must be written

in black and white.’