In the strongest warning so far to China, President Aquino declared in his State of the Nation Address on Monday that the Philippines is ready to defend its territorial claims in the South China Sea (renamed West Philippine Sea) with beefed-up military forces.
The warning highlighted his first major foreign policy statement since disputes over islands claimed by six Asian countries (the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan) flared into encounters between Chinese, on the one hand, and Philippine and Vietnamese forces, on the other hand, exploring for oil and marine resources in the area.
The statement on the Spratly Islands chain dispute was also the strongest section of the annual Sona, and drew one of the loudest rounds of applause in Congress, where the President gave the speech. The applause indicated the depth of the national sentiment behind a tough position to stand up to increasingly aggressive Chinese intrusions and interference with maritime exploration activities especially of the Philippines in the Spratlys.
The President emphasized the tough foreign policy line apparently to dispel growing domestic criticism over what is perceived as his weak and indecisive leadership. There is little doubt from the reactions to this statement that he had broad public support—a point that the Chinese should not ignore to have a clear idea of the depth of Filipino feelings over the Chinese incursions in the area.
The President stated the Philippine case with little room for ambiguity: “We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know we are ready to protect what is ours.
Philippines has alleged that Chinese forces have repeatedly intruded into Manila-claimed areas in and near the Spratlys since February, including at the Reed Bank. Chinese officials have said there were no intrusions because those waters belonged to China.
The chain of barren, largely uninhabited islands, reefs and banks in the South China Sea are claimed in its entirety or partly by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei. They are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.
The Philippines has said it intends to bring the Spratlys disputes before the UN's International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. China opposed the plan and wants to negotiate bilaterally instead.
Mr Aquino said yesterday that bringing the case before an international arbiter would ensure that "all involved nations approach the dispute with calm and forbearance".
The President's reference to the Spratlys in an address to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration followed a visit by Filipino lawmakers on July 20 to a Philippine-occupied island in the disputed area.
The one-day visit to Pag-asa Island led
a Chinese Embassy spokesman to say that Beijing would relay its "great concern" to the Philippine government over the trip.
The Philippines' push to secure energy resources in the Spratlys despite China's opposition may ensnare the United States, Manila's treaty ally. Washington has said the peaceful resolution of the territorial disputes and ensuring the freedom of navigation there were in the US' interest, a position that has irked China.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Sunday that disputes in the South China Sea threaten to disrupt one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
There has been an increase in "intimidations, the ramming, the cuttings of cables - the kinds of things that will raise the cost of business for everyone", Mrs Clinton said on Sunday in Bali, Indonesia, where she had attended a meeting of Asian security officials.
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