Deep dive in WPS: Strong sources support Inquirer’s comprehensive analysis

CHEERS TO Inquirer for the two-part report by Kurt Dela Peña on the issues roiling the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

Inquirer published the first and second report in print and online on May 4 and 5, respectively. The first report compares Beijing’s infrastructure-building and the use of militia vessels to the building of China’s Great Wall, not for defense but for dominance. The second part presents diplomacy and defense alliances as options for the Philippines to counter Chinese aggression. 

For quite awhile, media coverage could cite only a few sources to analyze the situation and suggest policy actions. Dela Peña draws on a deep bank of experts and refers to several papers and studies issued by think tanks and academics.

His sources have expanded the scope of discussion and deepened the substance of media coverage on this longstanding zone of conflict. 

The first report discussed the “maritime great wall” as a projection of China’s military power, including a network of naval bases, surveillance systems, missile launchers and airfields that can deter or deny access to other countries. 

Dela Peña cited academics and experts in presenting China’s “gray zone tactics” —  a  strategy that goes “beyond diplomatic activities but are short of armed conflict.” Supporting fishing vessels with military and law enforcement personnel has enabled China to quickly establish its power in the maritime region. Photographs and infographics, used more extensively online, visualized the lengthy texts to help the public understand these ideas. 

The second part of the report defined the shift in the country’s China policy from the previous administration to the present. 

The article noted academics’ advice of using adroit diplomacy as the Philippine’s first line of defense; employing “tell-all” tactics by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), along with a highly visible modernization of the military. The increased diplomatic exchange with the United States (US) and the timely expansion of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) made more visible American engagement in the region. Security experts said China is already “threatened and contained” by the recent US activities in the Philippines, and that it will likely increase pressure in the WPS due to new arrangements between the Philippines and the US.

Dela Peña cited a data-driven report which assessed the capacity of the Philippines to defend its territory. Placing ninth out of 26, the country’s strongest metric was due to its bilateral military alliance with the US as treaty partner. Its ranking in resilience however was lower at 20th out of 26 partly due to internal conflicts. 

But the exposure to China’s “gray zone tactics” can strengthen Philippine military responses in the WPS. Given the military’s knowledge of domestic terrorism and insurgency, security experts said that the country can hold off even a more hostile turn in China’s aggression.

The density of information and insight makes the two articles valuable as reference for all media. Dela Peña’s reports did not only lay out the issues; but also identified possible solutions, describing the perils on various fronts when engaging a country determined to achieve dominion. 

The articles highlighted what the Philippines can do, given a President inclined to test the waters with new strokes.

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