DFA Must Prevail over PCG Hawks
There is a conflict brewing between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the foreign policy implementing department of the Philippine government who reports directly to the President of the Philippines, and elements of the national police and security establishment from the Philippine Coast Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Security Council.
The conflict arises from the insubordination of elements of the national police and security establishment against the recent “paradigm shift” ordered by the President of the Republic to the DFA to resume dialogue on issues and controversies and de-escalate tensions over the South China Sea claims between the Philippines and China.
On December 20, 2023, President Marcos was quoted by multiple Philippine media sources as calling for a “Paradigm shift needed for WPS issue -PBBM”, calling for that change in approach to the WPS that will take us down,… not the road to conflict, but down the road to peace.”
On February 13, 2024, multiple media outlets reported the insubordination of NTF-WPS spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela who said, as a GMA News headline put it, “Transparency strategy in WPS will continue despite de-escalation deal with China” directly contravening the intention of the “paradigm shift” instructed by the President and carried out by the DFA.
“Transparency strategy” exposed.
The “transparency strategy” that PCG NTF-WPS spokesman Comm. Jay Tarriela is now claiming to be a Philippine government strategy is actually the plan of ex-US Air Force Colonel Raymond Powell of the U.S. Naval Research Office’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation’s that has been called the Myoushu Project to “exact reputational cost” on China through “assertive transparency.”
The Myoushu Project was presented to the Stratbase-Albert Del Rosario Institute in January 2023 and imposed on President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. in February upon his return from his state visit to China. Shortly thereafter, deliberate challenges to China’s exercise of sovereignty by the PCG started and these continued to December 2023. This proved to be of no avail, however, as the PCG could not break China’s blockade of construction materials delivery.
On February 7, 2024, Tarriela was headlined to say, “Transparency efforts not enough to compel China to obey… “international law”, or the arbitration award that even the U.N. has said it does not recognize. In other words, the U.S. Naval intelligence’s Project Myoushu has proven a complete failure after a year of operation. Hence, the DFA resumed its serious dialogue with China.
The resumption of dialogue with China, which happened during the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism talks, has restored the calm and peaceful resupply missions of humanitarian provisions to the BRP Sierra Madre and rotation of troops, But the U.S. plan to set up the Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre has once again become a dream that is too far difficult to achieve.
Undisguised U.S. interference.
The temerity of U.S. military and intelligence forces to interfere in domestic Philippine affairs is a sight to behold. Project Myoushu team leader Col. Raymond Powel is an “in your face” belligerent in the Philippines lording, it over in tri-media, 24-7, ANC, 24 Oras, and other broadcast networks and newspaper interviews and panel talks.
Despite the obvious failure in “shaming China” and “gathering international support against China”, Raymond Powell claims his project has “complicated things” for China. But it really is the Philippines suffering from the loss of Chinese investments and infrastructure building assistance, thus setting back “Build, Better, More” by years.
DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo has on February 16, 2024 announced that he is preparing for an “economic fallout” from the tensions with China, meeting with the US trade secretary and a E.U. mission in the weeks ahead. What can these countries in recession or at its brink bring? Our wiser ASEAN neighbors have kept a far distance away from this provocative stance.
Even as the DFA de-escalates, it is publicly contradicted by alien American Raymond Powell who is announcing in international, social and Philippine media the “institutionalization” of the strategy of “assertive transparency” that is reiterated robotically by the PCGs Tarriela and buttressed by the Philippine defense secretary with his announcement of troop increases to the Batanes island that is facing Taiwan and the Bashi Straits.
Interfering brazenly in the affairs of the region, Raymond Powel tells the ANC audience that the ASEAN is useless in the South China Sea issues. But he advises the Philippines not to bring the WPS issue to the United Nations as it would lose its case there, this contradicts the calls of staunch WPS arbitration advocate Justice Antonio Carpio and Senator Riza Hontiveros to bring the matter to UN General Assembly.
Tarriela and Raymond Powell want the “transparency strategy” to continue in 2024. Their actions are what Einstein said about insanity: ““Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” A continuation of the “transparency strategy benefits only the Americans who want to sour Philippine-China relations and ASEAN centrality, and restore a chance for U.S. hegemony.
Reviving the Philippine-China Dialogue.
For 24-years prior to 2023, the Philippine-China dialogue went smoothly. Only a handful of tense incidents occurred over 8,500 days from 1999 to 2022. There was only one moment in 2016 that caused momentary intensification of tensions: this was the arbitration awards that is still used up this day as the basis for contesting the sovereign claim of China. As we have shown over and over again, the arbitral awards decision was a questionable process from the very beginning a questionable process.
The 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting in January of 2024 put things back on the right track. This came after the December 2023 phone conversation between Chinese State and Foreign Minister Wang. During that conversation, Yi advised Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo that the 2023 trouble between China and the Philippines has been caused solely by the Philippines’ deviation from established agreements.
Wang Yi warned that Philippines relations with Chia is at the crossroads, that the latter must “act with caution” and “return to the right path.” Early on in the 2023 controversy, China had renewed its offer to meet “halfway”; and in January 2024, China revived its proposal for the Joint Oil-Gas Exploration project that could quickly reverse the dire economic situation of the Philippine if it proceeds posthaste.
President Duterte reminded the nation in April 2022 that the commitment to proceed with the joint oil-gas deal should be honored. His reminder was sabotaged by elements in the network of the Forum Energy and Stratbase-ADRI group, namely, then Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin who admitted, in his own words, that he had unilaterally terminated the deal.
Government must shut up PCG, AFP Hawks and the Alien Interloper.
Where in the world can one see a policy issuance by a cabinet-rank department being contradicted, overridden and overruled by a mere maritime police agency? Tarriela has made public claims that the “transparency strategy” is a Philippine government policy. Where is this written down in the National Security Policy 2023 -2028? It is time someone in the Senate investigate all these questions.
The transparency strategy has been debunked by empirical facts – it does not work. It has not compelled China to relent on its exercise of sovereignty over its claimed sea territory. This is despite almost a whole year of challenges and provocations of the Philippine Coast Guard, including the attempt to use civilians to bait the Chinese Coast Guard into committing errors and violations which the latter has not been baited into.
China has not suffered ”reputational-costs”. In fact, it has enhanced its reputation for professionalism and safely thwarted the American strategy of using provocations to broadcast alleged “abuse.” Instead, international observers are witness to the violations of “collision regulations” by PCG-hired vessels trying to bait the Chinese Coast Guard into a serious collision.
China’s claim of sovereignty is enhanced in the eyes of the UN-led international community. The DFA’s de-escalation of tension with China over the South China Sea disputes and its return to dialogue and cooperation is on the right track. It is consistent with the call of President Bongbong Marcos for a “paradigm shift” and “a good plan that will take us down… not the road of conflict but down the road to peace.” The DFA must put its foot down on those wayward police, defense and security establishment hawks who are dragging the Philippines into the vortex of conflict designed by the Americans.
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