By Francessca S. Abalos
MANILA has yet to translate its moral and legal advantage in the South China Sea conflict into a unified government action, analysts said amid escalating online exchanges between Philippine and Chinese officials.
“The Philippines’ distinct advantage here [in this conflict] is that we are telling the truth and upholding a rules-based order because this is the worldwide standard,” Sherwin E. Ona, an associate professor at the Department of Political Science and Development Studies of De La Salle University, told BusinessWorld in a Viber call.
The West Philippine Sea Transparency Initiative, a counterstrategy Manila adopted in February 2023 to combat Beijing’s political and territorial claims below the threshold of armed attacks, is an example of Manila’s failure to optimize its moral and legal standing, Mr. Ona said.
Although the transparency initiative publishes the Philippine Coast Guard’s efforts to defend Philippine waters, local embassies do not feature them on their social media pages. Instead, only a handful of government agencies and personalities separately act on the issue, which Mr. Ona said can easily be trumped by China’s whole-of-society approach.
Edwin S. Estrada, an assistant professor at the School of Diplomacy and Governance of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, also said in a Google Meeting that Philippine officials issue differing statements on the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), senators, lawmakers, Malacañang and analysts all have different approaches to Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s Oct. 15 statement, claiming Beijing can defeat Manila with force but chooses peace.
Senators and members of the House of Representatives separately filed resolutions calling for Mr. Jing to be declared persona non grata.
The Palace said it would allow the DFA to handle the matter, though President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. later said he would not block attempts to declare the Chinese envoy persona non grata.
UNITED INTERESTS
Mr. Ona said the Philippines is fragmented on the issue because the government lacks a unified strategy that lasts beyond the six-year term of presidential administration; while Mr. Estrada said the Philippines is generally united on the sea dispute and Chinese relations when promoting national interests and welfare, but cannot agree on how to reach this goal.
“This is the effect of cognitive dissonance that sow fear and division in our society,” Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of International Development and Security Cooperation, said via Messenger. “The simple utterance of words of peace escalated into polarizing views with the diplomatic nuance of the use of force.”
The solution to the online word war with Beijing is “self-restraint, silence and more cultural exchanges,” Mr. Cabalza said.
Manila loses its moral high ground when Philippine officials begin to trade barbs, Mr. Estrada said. He added that the government should call a meeting with stakeholders, such as public officials, academic analysts and security analysts, to create a new code of conduct on how Manila communicates its position on the South China Sea.
“We have to restore a disciplined single voice on our foreign policy and that means we people, as stakeholders, cannot afford to be disunited at this point in time,” he said.
Regardless of our allyship with the US and other countries, the Philippines must know its interests as a nation, Mr. Ona noted. Filipinos also need to be able to identify themselves in the sea row, he said.
Mr. Ona said Manila’s interest is simple: unwavering commitment to Philippine sovereignty.
Beyond political jargon, Mr. Estrada said measuring this national interest boils down to whether Filipinos are benefiting.
“Whether we fight for sovereignty, we fight for the rule of law, we fight for whatever — does it trickle down to the poorest of the poor?” Mr. Estrada said. “That’s how we measure our national interest. It should be anchored on the benefit, on the welfare of our people, no more, no less.”
The Chinese Embassy in Manila and the Department of Defense did not immediately reply to Viber messages for comments.