Filipinos can only heave a sigh of relief when the tense standoff involving the country’s newest warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and two Chinese surveillance vessels, at the Scarborough Shoal ended with not a single shot fired.

Had shots been exchanged between the two sides, a far graver scenario would have erupted. And the Philippines will be in a very dangerous situation because it does not have the capability to sustain a battle with a military giant.

In an attempt to resolve the impasse, the Department of Foreign Affairs had summoned the Chinese ambassador to the negotiating table. This is a good way to start dousing the tension.

But as a diplomatic solution to the problem is being eyed by both countries, it would also be important for the country to reiterate its sovereignty over the offshore area called the Panatag Shoal, which is only 120 nautical miles from Zambales. The Philippine government should also demand explanation from China why Chinese fishermen continue to intrude on the country’s territorial waters.
China is claiming the shoal as part of its territory with the Chinese embassy explaining the two Chinese surveillance vessels were just “fulfilling the duties of safeguarding Chinese maritime rights and interests.” But that claim will never be justified as far as the United Nations agreement on Exclusive Economic Zones is concerned.

As it has been said a million times, it’s really useless to engage the Chinese with force in our territorial disputes with them. Militarily, and economically, they are a thousand times mightier than us. The best way to fight them is through diplomacy.

The Philippine government should vigorously bring its territorial claim before the UN. It has a strong case based on the agreement on the Exclusive Economic Zones. It can even tap the ASEAN – whose three other members are also claiming some islands in the Spratlys – in its effort to seek for a peaceful solution to the problem.

While we all know that China refuses to recognize the UN agreement, it cannot just ignore any UN inquiry into the territorial disputes because it is one of the signatories during the 1982 convention in Jamaica. (The Freeman)