Treacherous waters

China’s encroachment of the West Philippine Sea had been mostly regarded with caution, Filipinos being culturally pacific.

This could be one reason many voters cheered when then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte let loose some strong words against the incursions on our legally owned waters.

That was in late 2015 or early 2016 — it is 2021 and the next elections are already a sniffing distance away. (Although, frankly, certain moves had already begun to stink many months ago.)

Those campaign oaths had somehow appeased simmering resentments among Filipinos who believed that the mayor of Davao meant every word about challenging China’s perceived aggressions.

Duterte’s words gave people confidence that their leaders had their best interests at heart — that they were not wrong in feeling the injustice

“Through the onset of the global pandemic… the Philippines had maintained its composure against ever-increasing presence in the West Philippine Sea.

at China’s increasing presence on our waters.

The Chief Executive, however, tried the opposite tack. Fresh into his presidency, he berated US leadership and befriended Russia and China. Later, he said he only wished for the Philippines to be respected by our long-time ally. Further moves also led people to presume that he believes it is timely to expand the country’s alliances beyond the usual.

Through the onset of the global pandemic caused by a deadly coronavirus strain that is commonly believed to have emanated from China, the Philippines had maintained its composure against ever-increasing presence in the West Philippine Sea.

Covid-19 had grabbed a major part of world leaders’ attention since 2020 and constrained the global economy — but the insidious activities on our exclusive economic zone had not gone unnoticed. If anything, it further fanned the flames of resentment against a rising superpower who has shown it has no qualms about “bullying” its neighbors in the southeast.

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s advice is worth noting at this point.

The Philippines should install its own outposts in the areas within our EEZ. After all, it is within our rights to build structures there and not China’s who may have said all the right things about bilateral talks but went ahead and did what it wanted anyway.

China has continued to show its rejection of The Hague ruling in 2016 that declared China’s “nine-dash claim to most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, as invalid and baseless,” as stated in a report.

It seems that the “respect” President Duterte had always demanded from other countries is seriously lacking in this situation with the continued sovereignty snubs we have been seeing right here in our backyard.

Our National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea last week reported that ships of the Chinese Maritime Militia and the Chinese Coast Guard have remained on the waters off Kalayaan town in Palawan, leading us to “step up (our) presence” in the same waters. That was after 200 Chinese vessels were spotted in the Julian Felipe Reef in March, with 40 more seen in early April.

Aside from diplomatic notes sent by the Department Foreign Affairs, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines had been summoned. Some believe these actions will still not get the desired results, which is to clear our waters of incursions.

Aside from the occasional scares Filipino fishermen get from Chinese vessels, the latest controversy involving a journalist had added to the dismay felt by many citizens over the continued unwanted movements on the West Philippine Sea despite the pandemic.

Many are speaking out about this, but there is that one voice they are waiting to hear now, jetski or no jetski.

“Some believe these actions will still not get the desired results, which is to clear our waters of incursions.