On Alliances and the West Philippine Sea: The Ayungin Shoal Issue and MDT by Roilo Golez, 1 April 2014

On Alliances and the West Philippine Sea: The Ayungin Shoal Issue and MDT

by Roilo Golez, 1 April 2014

There is nothing demeaning about seeking the assistance of an ally or allies in the face of a threat. Alliances have been part of the history of mankind. Even Great Britain, then the predominant world power, sought alliances in confronting Napoleon. 

Today, we see PM Abe doing his shuttles in various countries, as well as receiving the Chief Executives of several major countries in the Asia Pacific region, obviously building a counterfoil against China, even proposing a Diamond Alliance consisting of the US, Australia, India and Japan.

Ditto for India, whose nationalism is irreproachable, which is now coming out of its Non-Aligned Movement shell.

The Philippines must do the same in the face of a clear and present danger from China. Those who say there is no clear and present danger should look at the features within our Exclusive Economic Zone that China has devoured already and about to devour: Mischief Reef in 1995, Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and now China has surrounded our Ayungin Shoal and would have occupied already if not for our eight stouthearted marines. The oil-rich Recto Bank is no doubt within China’s crosshair.

Now, I am encouraged by the signals from our treaty ally, the United States, in relation to the Ayungin Shoal incident this weekend.

I am sure students of international relations and diplomacy read this statement of State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf, the way I read it: “As a treaty ally of the Republic of the Philippines, the United States urges China to refrain from further provocative behavior by allowing the Philippines to continue to maintain its presence at Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal).” 

It is the most reassuring, clearest signal from the United States. It was stated not in the context of a general security situation but a specific concern: Ayungin. The preface “As a treaty ally of the Republic of the Philippines” is the defining line. The statement was given in the context of the MDT. Ergo, Ayungin is an MDT issue.