Gazmin. Thanks to Inquirer for photo.Never have I felt so kawawa reading the statements of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin justifying his plan to allow American and Japanese military access to military facilities in the Philippines to deter China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea .
Newspaper reports quoted Gazmin as saying: “We cannot stand alone. We need allies. If we do not (seek allies), we will be bullied by bigger forces and that is what is happening now. China is already there, staying in our territory.”
Gazmin must be referring to the situation in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag, off Zambales which is no longer accessible to Filipino fishermen since April 2012 and Mischief Reef in the Spratlys , which was China occupied in 1995.
It is feared that China would take over Ayungin Shoal, some 25 miles away from Mischief Reef.
By ELLEN TORDESILLAS, VERA Files (Conclusion) The permanent stationing of three of its ships in Bajo de Masinloc is part of China’s “creeping invasion” of…
‘We have to deal with ourselves first.’Chito Sta. Romana, considered a China expert having lived in China for more than 30 years and worked as Beijing Bureau chief of ABC News, said Philippines-China relations are now at their lowest ebb since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1975.“Know your opponent…”
Sta. Romana, together with Brig. Gen. (ret.) Jose Almonte, former National Security Adviser, were the speakers in last Wednesday’s general membership meeting of the Makati Business Club at Hotel Intercon in Makati.
The unfortunate deterioration of relations with a global superpower and an Asian neighbor started last April 8 when the Philippine Navy’s pride, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a hand-me down from the United States, arrested Chinese fishermen in Panatag shoal, also known as Scarborough shoal, 124 nautical miles off Zambales.
A mishandling of the situation characterized by rhetorics from the Philippines’ high officials led to a standoff that lasted almost two months. The territorial dispute spilled over to economic relations with China rejecting banana exports from the Philippines and Chinese tourists cancelling their scheduled trips to the Philippines.
Update:Southeast Asian summit breaks up in acrimony
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 07/13/2012 2:52 PM | Updated as of 07/13/2012 3:02 PM
PHNOM PENH – Days of heated diplomacy ended in failure Friday as splits over territorial disputes with China prevented Southeast Asian nations from issuing their customary joint statement at a summit Friday.
As of late afternoon Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who were meeting in Pnom Penh, Cambodia, had not released the joint communiqué which usually concludes the meeting.
Reporters covering the 45th ASEAN FMM said the discussion Monday was contentious between the Philippines and the chair, Cambodia over the subject of Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippines, represented by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, introduced the following paragraph in the draft communiqué. The capitalized phrases were taken out by Cambodia, apparently in consideration of China, but the Philippines insisted on its restoration: “ In this context,we discussed in depth the recent developments in the South China Sea INCLUDING THE SITUATION IN THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL, and expressed serious concern over such development in the area PARTICULARLY THOSE CONTRARY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1982 UNCLOS RELATED TO THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE AND CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF COASTAL STATES. In this connection we called on all parties to respect THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE AND CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF COASTAL STATES as well as the freedom of navigation in and overflight over the South China Sea as provided for by the universally recognized principles of international law,inclusing the 1982 UNCLOS. “
Claims he was taken out of context but affirms the idea.President Aquino committed a major blunder when he disclosed to Reuters his plan to ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the Spratlys in South China Sea to help monitor the area which is being claimed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
Reuters’ quote of Aquino was “We might be requesting overflights on that.”
The report said Aquino was referring to U.S. P3C Orion spy planes. “We don’t have aircraft with those capabilities,” Reuters further quoted Aquino.
The blunder was shocking enough. Imagine the chief executive of the land announcing a major national security plan that would cede Philippine sovereignty to the United States!
But the tragedy is that Aquino does not even know that he committed a blunder.
This rock is ours!
Adverse weather situation provided a face-saving exit for both the Philippines and China in the more than two-month standoff over Scarborough shoal, also referred to as Panatag shoal or Bajo de Masinloc by Filipinos and Huangyan island by the Chinese.
President Aquino said there would be no need to send back Philippine ships to Scarborough shoal if no vessel from other countries would be seen during aerial reconnaissance that the Philippine Air Force would be regularly doing.
But before that, careful not to be seen as the one who blinked first, Filipino and Chinese officials issued statements that were both conciliatory and contradictory.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello leads rally in front of Chinese EmbassySabi ni retired Commodore Rex Robles, sa usapan daw ng mga opisyal ng Philippine Navy, may nagpanukala na total mahilig tayo mag rally, bakit hindi magrally ang mga mangingisda sa Scarborough o Panatag shoal kun saan nag-gigirian ngayon ang Pilipinas at China.
“Kung may isang daan na fishing boats ang magrally doon sa bukana ng Scarborough shoal, tingnan natin kung anong gagawin ng China. Pagbabarilin ba nila yun? “ sabi ni Robles.
Kapag ginawa ng China yun, tutuligsain sila sa buong mundo, isang bagay na hindi nila gusto.
There are two positive things that resulted in the ongoing standoff in the Scarborough Shoal.
One is the decision of President Aquino recall the appointment of family friend Domingo Lee as ambassador to China and two, the raising of the conflicting territorial claims to the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea has been accelerated.
With the withdrawal of Lee’s appointment, the next question is, who will Aquino send to fill the long-vacant post in Beijing?
Three names have been mentioned.
BasilioThe first one is recently-retired Erlinda Basilio. A career foreign service officer, Basilio’s last position was foreign affairs undersecretary for policy under the Aquino administration, a position that she also held under the Arroyo administration. Briefly, while waiting for now Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario to assume the position, she served as acting foreign secretary.
Basilio’s calm demeanor masks a certain toughness that is needed in dealing with a bully like China. Basilio is a veteran in diplomatic pressures. She is not easily intimidated.
CruzAnother name mentioned is Luis T. Cruz, who is now our ambassador to South Korea.
Also a career officer,Cruz served as consul general in the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou, which he opened in 1997.
Cruz has the gift of “speaking his truth quietly and clearly” which is important in dealing with a pugnacious adversary.
Another name being floated is Chito Sta. Romana, former American Broadcasting Company news bureau in Beijing. He has retired from ABC and is now based in the Philippines.
Scarborough shoal at low tide by Adel Rosario from Wikipedia
Del RosarioForeign Secretary Albert del Rosario is in New York now.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday released his statement saying,” In pursuing a peaceful settlement of the Scarborough Shoal issue, we fully intend to humbly invite our Chinese friends to join us in the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).”
ITLOS was established to adjudicate conflict over the interpretation and implementation of the United Nations Convention of the Law which defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans.
Del Rosario said, “The purpose of the exercise will be to ascertain which of us has sovereign rights over the waters surrounding Scarborough Shoal where Chinese ships are currently engaging in illegal activities within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). “
Statement of Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario April 14, 2012, 6:50 pm.:
“As I said earlier, my meeting with Amb. Ma last night resulted in a stalemate. Notwithstanding, Amb. Ma has asked if we could commit to no surprises until we meet again to which I agreed.
“However, today, we received reports that the Philippine Coast Guard that 1) China sent back one of its white ships bringing the number of Chinese ships in the area back to two;2) A white Chinese aircraft with blue stripe was also sighted conducting flybys near Philippine Coast Guard vessel; and 3) A white Chinese ship harassed a Philippine-registered vessel with 9 French nationals which has been conducting archaelogical surveys.
“It appears there is an element that is lacking in our negotiations. I seek a deeper element of trust from our Chinese friends.”
The latest incident in Scarborough shoal reminds us of the issue of the non-inclusion of the sandbar, also known as Panatag , in the country’s baseline which was one of the points of conflict between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in 2008. Trillanes was then in detention
