By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – The Philippines is keeping a close eye on Chinese activities at Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, amid concerns that its newly discovered floating structure there could be a prelude to occupation and eventual militarization.
“We have learned our history kung paano nag-o-operate ang Chinese Communist Party. We are keeping a very close eye on developments sa (We have learned our history how the CCP operates. We are keeping a very close eye on developments at) Bajo de Masinloc,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
The official said China’s militarization of several features in the WPS, such as the Mischief Reef, also began with Beijing putting up fishers’ shelters, platforms and small concrete structures only for them to turn into massive artificial islands later on.
“Sinasabi nila na hindi ito mami-militarize, but in 2016, ‘yong unang military aircraft ay nag-land sa (At that time, they said they will not militarize it, but in 2016, their first military aircraft landed on) Mischief or Panganiban Reef,” he recalled.
On the part of the military, Trinidad said the AFP’s guidance is “very clear” — to defend the Philippines’ territories down to its last square inch.
As of this posting, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the floating platform is still monitored inside the Scarborough Shoal
Serious threat
Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, shared that in the past, China also deployed a platform on the Fiery Cross Reef in the WPS, only to militarize it afterwards.
“Sa ngayon ang sinasabi daw nila (China) ay scientific research daw ang dahilan, pero ang naaalala natin agad kapag sinabi nila iyon ay iyon din ang sinabi nila bago nila kunin ang Fiery Cross Reef at tayuan ng mga permanenteng istruktura at ngayon ay malaking artificial island na (Right now, they are saying that they are there for scientific research, but what we immediately recall when they said that was what they did when they took Fiery Cross Reef and built permanent structures there that is now a massive artificial island),” Batongbacal said.
“So, parang nagiging hudyat ito na susubukin na naman yata nila uli (So, it’s like another signal that they will attempt to do that again),” he added.
He warned that with China’s capability, it could very well turn Scarborough Shoal into another of militarized feature within a span of at least a year if that is its intention.
“Iyong nangyari sa West Philippine Sea na pito ‘yong sunod sunod ‘yong construction nila ng artificial islands, nangyari lahat iyon (Similar to what happened when they constructed seven artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, all of them happened) in two years,” he said.
“Alam natin na once inumpisahan nila ‘yan kayang kaya nila iyan, within a year matatakpan na nila ang (We know that once they started, they can do it, within a year they could cover the entire) Scarborough Shoal.”
Batongbacal said Manila cannot allow this feature, situated merely 124 nautical miles off mainland Zambales, to be militarized as that would pose a “serious threat” to the Philippines’ national security.
Red line
In the same forum, retired Philippine Navy rear admiral and professor of praxis at the Ateneo School of Government, Rommel Ong, said the government suggested a calibrated Philippine action to deescalate or enforce the “red line” it has set on Chinese activities in the Scarborough Shoal.
Ong said one possible approach would be to enhance presence along the route between Hainan and Bajo de Masinloc, where logistical support for Chinese activities could come from.
Batongbacal said the government could also tap into its security arrangements with other countries, such as with Japan and Australia, to address the latest development there.
He pointed this out as he noted that triggering its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States would still have to bank on whether the government would declare the Chinese activity an act of aggression.
“Sa ngayon dahil ang current situation ay puwede pang i-atras, puwede pang tanggalin ang mga struktura doon, parang hindi pa timely para i-invoke ang MDT in the sense para gamitin at tanggalin by force ang mga structure na ‘yan (As of now, since the platform could still be moved, I think it is not yet timely to invoke the MDT for its removal by force),” he said.
PCG spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, for his part, said the country’s maritime transparency efforts will remain crucial in exposing China’s activities in Bajo de Masinloc.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier issued several demarche and a formal protest against the reported structure. (PNA)
