What does the Philippines want – a stable and conducive environment for its peaceful development, or to be trapped in the unpredictable game of geopolitics? Recently, the country’s actions and words have been filled with duplicity and complexity, but the trend is discernible – the Philippines is hot-headedly positioning itself as a vanguard, bridgehead, and even cannon fodder for the US.
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines will develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, Manila’s military chief Romeo Brawner told reporters on Monday.
The China-Philippines maritime dispute does not, in of itself, reflect anything approaching an existential conflict. It has, however, become an increasingly dangerous proxy and potential flashpoint for underlying China-U.S. tensions in the South China Sea.
FYI, this article is full of disinformation. I’m posting it to point out that there’s an information war going on in the South China Sea (using embedded journalists, civil society activists, and various US think tanks). The Philippines plans on building a military base, on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, to replace the BRP Sierra Madre (which is about to break apart). Marcos is also re-starting oil exploration, in the Reed Bank, which is part of the disputed territory.
Paul Reichler, of the law firm Foley Hoag LLP, who who coordinated the Philippines’ legal team, said: “The tribunal’s ruling not only benefits the Philippines, it also benefits other states bordering the South China Sea like Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. If China’s nine-dash line is invalid as to the Philippines, it is equally invalid to those states and, indeed, the rest of the international community.”
Del Pilar’s sister ship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16), sailed from Subic port the same day. On Tuesday, however, the US side asked for a 24-hour delay due to “operational requirements.” …
What is your intention, over?” “Philippine warship 15, this is Chinese Navy warship 570 conducting lawful activities in our territorial seas, over,” came the reply.
One more time, from the Philippine ship: “Chinese warship 570, you are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Your actions will affect Philippine-Chinese relations and will be reported to concerned authorities, over.” …
On Wednesday, US Navy destroyer USS Sterett (DDG- 104), one of the escort ships of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), was the only American ship to arrive for the exercises.
Canceled, shortened
Two other US warships and the USS Carl Vinson were expected to join but did not show up due to “operational necessity.”
…
“Unfortunately, they did not give specifics (why the other activities were canceled). They just said that ‘due to some operational necessity,’ they have to reallocate some of their forces to other tasks,” Carlos said in an interview on board the Del Pilar.
In the name of resupply, the Philippines has repeatedly sent vessels carrying illegal building materials in attempts to reinforce a warship that has been illegally grounded on Ren’ai Reef since 1999 to permanently occupy the Chinese reef.
Those attempts were blocked by China Coast Guard vessels with legitimate and professional restriction measures.
President Bongbong Marcos shocked the nation when he put out a tweet (X post) this weekend on the recent water cannoning incidents at Ayungin and Scarborough Shoal. I would like to highlight this part of his statement: “Let me reiterate what is settled and widely recognized: Ayungin Shoal is within our Exclusive Economic Zone, any foreign claim of sovereignty over it is baseless and absolutely contrary to international law…No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea.”
20-11-2023: In a short space of time, the Philippines has been transformed from a friendly neighbour of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), to one which is being pushed in the direction of a hostile adversary. The election of President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr has been the catalyst for the tilt towards the US hegemon and away from an ally of the PRC and of the Russian Federation, which was cultivated by the former Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte. In fact, it is potentially much worse than just a shift in foreign policy. As The New Atlas points out, the Republic of the Philippines is being shaped into being South-East Asia’s “Ukraine” – a hapless Nazified proxy of US imperialism destroying itself in a failed war on Russia.[1] However, this rapid about turn is not being implemented in the Philippines without opposition, seemingly from such allies of the former President Duterte as current Vice President Sara Duterte (the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte) and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. While it is the case that Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte have not always been side by side in politics, it does appear as though the Philippine elite are dividing on the pro-US course of Marcos Jr.
Philippine lawmakers have pushed the Marcos administration to amend two defence treaties with the US and make the long-time security ally cough up for using Manila’s military bases to fund a cash-strapped armed forces pension scheme that is staring at “financial collapse”.
The entire leadership and membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the brutal torture and cowardly killing of Party leaders Benito Tiamzon (Ka Laan) and Wilma Austria-Tiamzon (Ka Bagong-tao), together with eight other revolutionaries after they were captured in Samar province on August 21, 2022.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is open to the idea of forging a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with Japan but stressed that it should not look provocative so as not to escalate tensions in the South China Sea.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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