West Philippine Sea FILE

Government transparency and coordinated legal strategy remain key tools for the Philippines in responding to China’s activities in Bajo de Masinloc, according to maritime security experts who spoke at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard on the West Philippine Sea, said continued public disclosure of developments in the area is essential to deter further escalation and expose what he described as unlawful actions in the disputed shoal.

The remarks come after Philippine authorities confirmed the presence of a Chinese floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, prompting Manila to issue a diplomatic protest and call for its removal.

Tarriela said making such incidents public is part of a broader strategy to prevent China from establishing a more permanent presence in the area and to ensure the issue reaches both domestic and international audiences.

“So ito ang alalahan ay isang napakahalagang hakbang to deter China from realizing kung anuman ang plano nila sa Bajo de Masinloc,” Tarriela said.

He added that timing is crucial, as the Philippines continues to play an active role in regional diplomacy, including ongoing discussions on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

“Una sa lahat, alam natin na tayo ang ASEAN host country ngayon,” Tarriela said.

Tarriela said the transparency campaign is also meant to create international pressure and encourage restraint as negotiations continue.

“We are hoping that this kind of reputational damage will make China think twice para gumawa ng ganito,” Tarriela said.

He also stressed the importance of keeping global attention on developments in the West Philippine Sea.

“Secondly, we also intend to make the international community aware of what’s happening in Bajo de Masinloc,” Tarriela said.

Retired Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Rommel Ong, now a professor at the Ateneo School of Government, supported the need for calibrated responses, saying the Philippines must show it is drawing clear lines while avoiding unnecessary escalation. He also floated the idea of increasing Philippine presence along key maritime routes that could support activities around the shoal.

Meanwhile, maritime law expert Atty. Jay Batongbacal of the UP College of Law and the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea said it may still be premature to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States over the presence of movable Chinese structures in the area.

Batongbacal said the issue remains legally complex because it involves sovereignty questions that are difficult to bring before international tribunals.

“Basically, dahil ang issue dito ay sovereignty, medyo malaki ang obstacle sa ngayon,” Batongbacal said.

“Hindi basta-basta nadadala sa korte ang isyu ng territorial sovereignty,” he added.

He said the government is still exploring other legal avenues, including possible cases related to China’s activities in the shoal.

“Pero pinag-aaralan din po…kung ano pang ibang paraan para pwede silang madala sa isang tribunal,” Batongbacal said.

Batongbacal warned that the situation should not be taken lightly, noting China’s past transformation of other South China Sea features into artificial island bases. He said Bajo de Masinloc, being much closer to Luzon, would pose a direct security concern if similarly developed.

He added that the Philippines must first determine whether recent activities should be treated as acts of aggression, which could have implications for collective defense arrangements.

“Ang choice muna ay nasa atin, policy decision po ‘yan kung i-consider natin itong latest activities nila, ang pag-conduct ng marine scientific research bilang isang act of aggression,” Batongbacal said.

However, he cautioned that the current situation may still be reversible and does not yet justify invoking the MDT for the use of force.

“Sa ngayon dahil ang current situation ay pwede pang iatras, pwede pang tanggalin ang mga struktura doon, parang hindi pa po timely para invoke ang MDT in the sense para gamitin at tanggalin by force ang mga structure na yan,” Batongbacal said.

He emphasized that the MDT is only one component of the country’s broader security framework, alongside partnerships with allies such as Japan and Australia.

“So ito ang alalahanin natin ay isa lamang instrumento at isang aspeto lamang ng ating security arrangements with other countries, particularly with the US,” Batongbacal said.

“Pero marami din tayong security arrangements with other partners like Japan, Australia, etc.,” he added.

Batongbacal also warned that if China succeeds in establishing a permanent base in Bajo de Masinloc, it would place a military facility just over 100 nautical miles from Luzon, significantly raising security risks.

“Magiging military base ng 120 nautical miles lang from Manila, from Luzon essentially,” Batongbacal said.

“So hindi talaga natin pwedeng tanggapin yan,” he added.

Both experts underscored that the Philippines’ response must balance firmness with restraint, relying on transparency, legal mechanisms, diplomacy, and alliances to manage tensions before they escalate further.