By Herman Tiu Laurel

 

Last May 1, 2025 the Philippine Navy spokesman for the National Task Force on the WPS announced through an exclusive interview with a Manila newspaper that “talks are under way to regularize warship transits across the Taiwan Strait, a development he hinted could lead to more formal joint military activities between the two neighbors and thus reshape the strategic calculus in the region.”

            The puny Philippines under BBM and its even punier navy could not reshape “the strategic calculus” in the region even if it tried with all its might that doesn’t exist in the first place, but it is indeed trying to serve the intention of the U.S. Deep State in trying to steer its vassal states in Asia to help it recover lost U.S. leverage in the region. The effort will be of no value as the U.S. military, economic and diplomatic might no longer exists save in the imagination of U.S.-Philippine proxies’ imaginations.

            The Philippines under BBM continuously tries in van to create the impression that it is challenging China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea, particularly in select Philippine areas of interest such as the Scarborough Shoal, the Second Thomas Shoal and the Sabina Shoal, by provoking Chinese response to Philippine Navy (PN) or Philippine Coast Guard (PCCG) incursions but succeed only in reaffirming China’s sovereign control of the areas as the PN and PCG are repelled at every attempt.

            While the PN and PCG continue with their provocations the Department of Foreign Affairs, the legitimate branch of the government to deal with foreign relations and with China, conducts conciliatory talks with China such as the bilateral agreement for China to allow unimpeded RORE (rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal). Such agreements with China are already tacit acceptance of China’s control and sovereignty.

            Even on Scarborough Shoal, a particularly sensitive geographic feature as it faces and guards the mouth of Subic Base the U.S. nuclear submarines hide in, China is in effective control that even PCG spokesman Comm. Jay Tarriela admitted in 2023 meekly opining that the “Philippines aims to ‘take control again…’” which enjoys as much chance as a snow ball in hell. The Philippine Navy abandoned Scarborough Shoal after the 2012 Scarborough Standoff and China never relinquished control since.

            The withdrawal of the Philippine Navy ships at the height of Scarborough Standoff ordered by the then Noynoy Aquino government is interpreted as a default concession to China. Some have accused then U.S. Asst. Secretary of State Kurt Campbell for advising Aquino to claiming China’s agreement to simultaneous withdrawal that China denied, but it most likely was due to simultaneous pressures on Aquino such as: boycott of Philippine bananas, Chinese ban on fishing (restored after standoff), suspension of tours to the Philippines.

            The Noynoy Aquino government seems to have been more responsive to the economic realities and needs of the Filipino nation in responding to the Scarborough Standoff crisis as it did, unlike the BBM government and it defense and security establishments today completely betraying the economic welfare of the nation for enforcing U.S. strategic interest while allowing the loss of up to $ 2-billion revenues from Chinese tourism, years of delay in multi-billion dollar priority rail projects China was supposed to finance, among many other economic losses.

            In the engagement with the U.S. Deep State and disengagement of the Philippines with China its all losses and no gains for the country. Trump couldn’t even put the Philippines at par with Singapore that got a 10% tariff as an “ally” while the Philippines got 17% despite hosting 9 U.S. Bases, thousands of U.S. troops and provoking China. The U.S. won’t even grant the FTA (free trade agreement) the Philippines has been requesting for five years now. Are BBM and the generals, admirals and commodores, stupid? Are they just shamelessly bribed by the U.S.?

            The Philippine Navy as pawn has played its role again last May 5, sending its BRP Emilio Jacinto to “conduct lawful maritime operations at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), but it met the expected “Great Wall of ships” of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The PN complained through the Philippine News Agency:

“’(The Philippine Navy (PN)’s BRP Emilio Jacinto) encountered aggressive and unsafe maneuvers by two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels Jiangkai II-class frigates (Type 054A) with bow numbers 554 and 573, and a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5403. The incident occurred approximately 11.8 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc,”’ it added.

“One of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Jiangkai II-class frigates, with bow number 554, was documented tailing BRP Emilio Jacinto at close range.

“Meanwhile, another Chinese frigate, with bow number 573, crossed the bow of the Philippine naval ship, which is described as a high-risk maneuver as it could lead to a collision.

“Meanwhile, a CCG vessel with bow number 5403 also attempted to obstruct BRP Emilio Jacinto’s navigational path.

“These reckless actions not only posed a direct threat to the safety of navigation of PS-35, but also violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs),’ the AFP said.”

            Chinese official media headlined its response to the incident as “PLA prevents Philippine corvette from trespassing into Huangyan Dao waters, releases trail illustration” and showed an illustration of the attempted approach of the BRP Emilio Jacinto to the second  perimeter ring of the Scarborough Shoal where the PLAN ships met it and escorted it out of the outer perimeter ring of the shoal.

            The Chinese report described the operation, “The PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to lawfully track, monitor, issue warnings, and expel the vessel, effectively preventing the Philippine vessel from intruding into China’s territorial waters. The on-site operations were professional, standardized, justified, and lawful…” Ann international observer looking at the unfolding of the events will see the PN ships attempting to enter the shoal and China’s ships controlling the situation and expelling the Philippine Navy peacefully.

BBM Philippines cannot be taken seriously, if it plays a “Zero Sum” game with China it will end in a tragedy for the Philippines. The U.S. defined China as its peer competitor, but the world is seeing China now as superior after its early triumph in Trump 2.0 tariff war, its 230 times shipbuilding capacity or the U.S. and its advanced hypersonic missiles and 6^th generation fighters. China’s J-10 fighters are now proving superior to rival warplanes in the on-going Pak-India conflict. These are just some reminders for BBM, Filipino U.S. chihuahuas and the AFP.

            The Philippines’ right path with China is what all other ASEAN and East Asian countries are doing – working positively with China in building a stronger Asian and multilateral economic world. Traditional U.S. “allies” Japan and South Korea are joined the recent China and ASEAN Central Bank Governor’s meeting May 4, 2025 in reaffirming “ commitment to multilateralism,” likewise BRICS national security advisers meet declaring  on May 1 the reaffirmation of the “commitment to global cooperation, a multipolar order….”

            Today’s Philippine government’s canine obedience to the U.S. will only lead to disaster upon disaster for the country and its people. The majority of the Filipinos are learning this, as evidenced by recent surveys showing 93% to 95% of the population care more about price of food, criminality and corruption than the territorial issues that U.S. proxies or Chihuahuas bark about all the time. On Election Day next Monday let’s kick out the U.S. political pawns from government. ###

   

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