Wednesday, March 29, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Columns Open Thoughts by Orlando Oxales

Defending national interests

Orlando OxalesbyOrlando Oxales
July 10, 2017, 12:01 am
in Open Thoughts by Orlando Oxales
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

The latest in the now-protracted West Philippine Sea saga comes in the form of new military facilities built by China on some of the disputed islands according to released satellite photos from American think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies. The images show missile shelters and radar and communication sites under construction on Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi Reefs.

For his part, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said experts from the department are still studying if the structures are indeed new. If they are, he would recommend to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippines file a formal diplomatic protest against Beijing.

The development comes in the heels of a US Navy destroyer sailing within 12 nautical miles of a small isle in an island chain claimed and controlled by China, earning the ire of the Asian power who called it a “serious political and military provocation.” The incident involving American warship USS Stethem is the second spat in six weeks, although US officials claim the patrol is routine procedure authorized by the principle of freedom of navigation.

Closer to home, the US Embassy confirmed weeks ago that American soldiers, at the request of the Philippine government, are providing technical assistance to Filipino troops battling ISIS-aligned terrorists in Marawi City.

Local security officials clarified, however, that no American personnel was directly involved in combat operations. The two countries signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951—five years after granting of Philippine independence—but the 1987 Constitution forbids direct participation of foreign troops in local conflicts.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, Ambassador Sung Kim had renewed his country’s commitment to support the Philippines’ counterterrorism and rehabilitation efforts in the embattled Islamic city even as fighting rages on far longer and more fiercely than initially expected.

This support—despite a perceived cooling of relations early in the Duterte administration—reveals the vital importance of stable ties with our historic and traditional allies, as well as the possibility of such ties recovering their old strength, especially in critical areas of cooperation such as counterterrorism, a real global, borderless threat.

Elsewhere, there were more displays of alliance in the high seas. Lorenzana confirmed that the US Navy combat ship USS Colorado, after a naval exercise in Cebu, conducted some joint patrols with the Philippine frigate BRP Ramon Alcaraz in the Sulu Sea, ostensibly to deter piracy and other illegal activities.

The joint patrol also “further demonstrates US commitment to the security of the Philippines and enduring US interest in promoting stability and prosperity in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” the US Embassy in Manila said.

Amid the profound dangers posed by the possibility of a global terrorist network, the imperative to categorically protect the country’s sovereignty and national patrimony even as we take advantage of key alliances is stronger than ever. On one hand, the country’s stance on issues like the West Philippine Sea dispute should be guided by an abiding belief in what by law and by history belongs to us, from physical territory to the resources that rightfully belongs to the Filipino people.

On the other hand, as a small state in a global stage rife with competing interests, it is in the best interest of the Philippines to maintain and fortify the rule of international law. This is the only way for the country to secure a semblance of a level playing field faced, for instance, with a rising superpower like China. This is exactly what gave the Philippines distinct ascendancy when it received a favorable arbitral tribunal ruling, something that this administration can still take advantage of.

A worthwhile model is Japan’s proactive approach in international affairs, in particular in upholding international order specifically on the security and governance aspect of the maritime domain. Its “multilayered security cooperation” forged critical ties with like-minded countries with coastal territories that are important in Japanese sea-lanes of communication.

The Philippines, for instance, stands to benefit from a planned provision of patrol vessels to boost, on one hand, its search-and-rescue and fisheries protection capabilities, but also its maritime surveillance capacity vis-à-vis increased Chinese incursion in Philippine-claimed waters.

Ultimately, the complexity of the dynamic in the region tells us that the government’s independent foreign policy should by no means focus on pleasing Beijing at the expense of all the other players. The two, it bears repeating, are not mutually exclusive.

A year after landmark ruling from The Hague, independent think tank Stratbase ADR Institute is holding a forum called “The Framework of Conduct, One Year After Arbitration” on July 12 at the Manila Polo Club. Fresh insights and analyses geopolitical issues will be discussed by top experts which include Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, former DFA secretary Albert del Rosario, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Stratbase ADRi president and academic Dindo Manhit, among others.

Tags: Center for Strategic and International StudiesChinaFiery CrossMischiefSecretary Delfin LorenzanaSubi ReefsWest Philippine Sea
ADVERTISEMENT
Orlando Oxales

Orlando Oxales

Related Posts

Under-implemented Rare Disease Law

byOrlando Oxales
March 27, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

The European Union defines a disease as rare when fewer than 1 in 2,000 people within a general population is...

Read more

Rising clamor on EO 12 exclusion of electric two-wheelers

byOrlando Oxales
March 20, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

“Imagine how clean our air will be and the savings on expensive petroleum fuel, when EVs become the dominant transport...

Read more

Exposing the bullying in the WPS

byOrlando Oxales
March 13, 2023, 12:10 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

"Wide-eyed vigilance to tell the truth about Chinese gray zone actions will force Beijing to concoct bigger lies that, in...

Read more

Another blatant violation of Philippine territorial integrity

byOrlando Oxales
March 6, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

"Pag-asa Island is a municipality of Kalayaan Province of Palawan and is home to 400 Filipino citizens together with the...

Read more

Clamor for a circular economy

byOrlando Oxales
February 27, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

"The government must respond with operationally-viable policies that will allow reasonable transition timelines for compliance." The public’s consciousness of the...

Read more

‘Critical Infrastructure EO’ to fast-track sustained prosperity

byOrlando Oxales
February 20, 2023, 12:05 am
0
8
Denying Villafuerte justice

"This ‘Critical Infrastructure EO’ may prove to be the President’s developmental legacy that will be valid beyond the myopic 6-year...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Sneakers for Makati : AB4.0
  • PBBM cuts PH line with ICC
  • Marcos greets Digong, vows to continue ‘good work’
  • DOJ chief tags Teves as fugitive, solon’s camp calls it ‘demonizing’
  • Gov’t eyes new pension rules of uniformed staff
  • Satellite captures traces of long oil slick in Verde Island Passage
  • CAAP: 2m Holy Week air travelers
  • Empowering Voices: A celebration of women’s month, women achievement

Advertisement

Latest News

Satellite captures traces of long oil slick in Verde Island Passage

byRio N. Arajaand1 others
March 29, 2023, 12:40 am
0
8
Satellite captures traces of long oil slick in Verde Island Passage

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on Tuesday said satellite images showed new traces of oil slick in Verde Island Passage,...

Read more

CAAP: 2m Holy Week air travelers

byJoel E. Zurbano
March 29, 2023, 12:30 am
0
8
Pope, Marcos pay tribute to Benedict XVI

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is anticipating two million air travelers going to and from various provinces starting...

Read more

Empowering Voices: A celebration of women’s month, women achievement

byPeter Paul Duran
March 29, 2023, 12:25 am
0
8
Getting to know the empowered lady legislators of VisMin

The “Empowering Voices” special series featured tenured female legislators from different regions of the Philippines, including the National Capital Region,...

Read more

Getting to know the empowered lady legislators of VisMin

byPatricia Taculao
March 29, 2023, 12:20 am
0
8
Getting to know the empowered lady legislators of VisMin

Although several hundred miles away from the country’s capital, the regions in Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region,...

Read more

Rising tension in East Asia

byManila Standard
March 29, 2023, 12:15 am
0
8
Rising tension in East Asia

Nerves are rising yet again in East Asia after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App