Manila may raise sea row with China as ASEAN chair

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES has started preparations for its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where it seeks raise its dispute with China Sea.

“We are already in the process of creating our national organizing committee [which is] responsible for the preparations,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo told a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the agency’s budget for next year.

“Of course, the West Philippine Sea and other regional issues will definitely be items (for discussion) under the political pillar of ASEAN,” he added, referring to areas of the South China Sea with the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said Manila would take over the regional bloc’s chairmanship in 2026 as the country aims to “fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter.”

He issued Administrative Order 17 ordering government agencies to form a national organizing committee that would oversee programs and projects related to the country’s hosting of ASEAN.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Joseph Gilbert F. Violago, who sponsored the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) proposed budget at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, said the DFA is studying the implications of bringing the sea dispute with China to the United Nations General Assembly.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened in the past year as Beijing continues to block resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila has a handful of troops stationed at a beached vessel.

Meanwhile, Mr. Manalo said the Philippines does not want to gang up on China with the international community as it considers bringing their sea dispute to the UN.

“Why would we be ganging up (on China) if it is aimed at peace and security, maritime security?” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Senate hearing.

“We intend to raise the importance of international law, rules-based order and how to deal with disputes and differences through diplomatic and peaceful means and cooperation from different nations,” he added.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry has said Manila and its allies ganging up on China would only destabilize the region and worsen tensions.

The Philippines’ biggest coast guard ship left Sabina Shoal on Sept. 14 after five months of being deployed there amid Chinese pressure to withdraw the vessel.

This was a few days after envoys from both sides held diplomatic talks in Beijing on how to ease tensions, even as both sides insisted on upholding their sovereign rights over features in the South China Sea, including Sabina shoal.

Mr. Manalo said the decision to remove BRP Teresa Magbanua from the shoal was not agreed on during the talks, adding that it was just a coincidence. “They discussed the issues, there was no deal (to pull out).”

Sabina Shoal, which China calls Xianbin Reef, lies 150 km (93 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, well within its exclusive economic zone. Manila calls it Escoda Shoal.

The two nations have traded accusations of intentional ramming of each other’s vessels in a series of clashes last month, just after reaching a pact on resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship at Second Thomas Shoal.

They held the first round of bilateral talks this year in Manila, where they agreed on a “provisional arrangement” on resupply missions at Second Thomas Shoal and new lines of communications to improve their handling of sea disputes.

Beijing insists it has sovereignty over most of the South China Sea based on its old maps and has deployed hundreds of coast guard vessels deep into Southeast Asia to assert its claims, disrupting offshore energy and fishing activities of its neighbors including Malaysia and Vietnam.

In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Hague voided China’s expansive claims for being illegal. Beijing has rejected the ruling.