“The real problem and the real flashpoint, which is why I’m telling you how critical it is for us. The real flashpoint is in the West Philippine Sea,” Romualdez said.
How many submarines does Philippines need to deter Beijing in South China Sea?
How many submarines does Philippines need to deter Beijing in South China Sea?
The West Philippine Sea is the term Manila uses to describe the eastern parts of the South China Sea that are within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters.
The Philippines has in the past accused the Chinese coastguard of confronting its ships in the hotly-contested sea, including firing water cannons at them.
In the latest incident, a vessel belonging to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources received a radio challenge from a Chinese warship on February 21 as it sailed towards the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal.
The disputed shoal lies 240km (150 miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon and nearly 900km from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.
“The aggression that we are now facing is very real,” Romualdez said. “Never in our lifetime, even during World War II, did we face such a challenge because this country will not let up on their claim in many of our territorial waters.”
15:04
Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte
Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte
The diplomat added the frequent stand-offs in the South China Sea could trigger the 1951 mutual defence treaty, which obliges Washington to come to Manila’s defence in case of an armed attack, but its implementation comes at a cost.
“All of these skirmishes that are happening, there can be one major accident and either one of our countries, the US or the Philippines, can invoke the [treaty] and when we do, a commitment made by the US or the commitment we made will happen, and then all hell breaks loose,” Romualdez said.
He also pushed for diplomacy to douse tension between the Philippines and China, saying the Southeast Asian nation was working on preventing a situation where the allies could be forced to use the military pact.
“We hope it will never happen,” GMA News quoted him as saying.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entirety of the South China Sea – where the Philippines and several other Southeast Asian nations have competing claims – and has rejected a 2016 international ruling that ruled in favour of Manila and found China’s assertions have no legal basis.
14:15
Livelihoods lost: The fishermen snared in the Scarborough Shoal dispute
Livelihoods lost: The fishermen snared in the Scarborough Shoal dispute