MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines should not expect
too much from the ongoing 2 Plus 2 talks between Filipino and American
officials in Washington and should push more aggressively its ASEAN
counterparts into taking a common stand in facing China, while
continuing to assert its rights in every possible international forum,
Sen. Miriam Santiago said Sunday.
Santiago, a known expert on constitutional and
international law, said in a radio interview that it seems more
realistic to assume that China’s real intention in constantly expanding
its presence and showing strength in the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal and
other areas in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone is not really
to grab outright or claim these as part of its territory, but “to beat
other nations,” particularly those in the ASEAN, in exploiting the huge
natural resources believed stored in those seas.
The problem, she said, is that “we small nations” don’t
have the capability to exploit the natural wealth as quickly as China
plans to.
While China repeatedly claims the whole South China Sea by
invoking “history” and rejects Manila’s initiative to bring the
Scarborough issue to grievance forums provided under the UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China is also afraid of being treated
like a pariah by the international community if it makes a naked grab
for territory. This is why it combines a creeping occupation of islets
and other assets of other countries with diplomatic moves and
manifestations of goodwill in other areas, such as aid cooperation, she
explained.
China had started out by simply calling as “fishermen
shelters” in 1995 the structures being built on Mischief Reef when
Manila denounced this. Since then, per DFA and defense records, it had
built structures that looked more like fortresses than plain shelters.
Don’t pin hopes on US alone, tap ASEAN, assert rights
The US, with which the Philippines has an over 60-year old
Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), has in recent months been seen by some
Philippine officials as a military crutch in case China’s aggression in
the West Philippine Sea escalates. In fact, Malacanang officials had
said the current standoff over fishing rights at Panatag Shoal, off
Zambales province, will very likely be part of the “2 Plus 2” talks
between Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario and Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and their US counterparts: Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and Defense chief Leon Panetta.
However, “the US also owes China big time. We must never
forget that,” Santiago told radio DZBB in an interview, and noted the
vague response of US officials to questions in past weeks on what
America will do if China’s aggression against the Philippines escalates.
While the US remains a strong ally, Santiago said Manila
should keep reaching out---as President Aquino and DFA’s del Rosario
have done---to its ASEAN co-members who stand to be most affected by the
apparent design of China’s overarching need to have access to
resources, especially marine life and energy. “We must keep telling them
[ASEAN friends] today, China is doing this to us, tomorrow, it will be
you.”
Besides Manila, it is only Vietnam so far that is known to
have backed the initiative to have a common, strong stand among the 10
members of the regional bloc, in order to blunt Beijing’s design to
push with bilateral talks that weaken the leverage further of the
smaller countries.
Besides the Philippines and Vietnam, two other ASEAN
members (Malaysia and Brunei) claim in whole or in part the Spratly
island chain. China and Taiwan are the two other claimants.
Meanwhile, Manila would do well to keep asserting its
rights in other international forums, said Santiago, who has been chosen
for the International Court of Justice, but is expected to assume her
seat next year.
For a start, she said, the treaty-ratifying Senate could
adopt a resolution affirming the Philippines’ sovereignty over Panatag
Shoal, and ask the DFA to convey this to China. It is important to keep
asserting one’s rights at every turn, she stressed.
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