Why are we not yet fighting back against China in the West Philippine Sea?

Despite the numbing regularity with which Philippine vessels are rammed, blocked, water-cannoned, shot at with flares, and the corresponding injury, deprivation and harassment suffered by our service personnel, as well as damage and theft of our government property and natural resources, we are not lifting a finger (pun very much intended), so to speak. Incredible!

The only possible reason is we are afraid of losing an armed conflict and losing control of more territory than we already have.

Certainly, we should avoid full-scale war with China. Because if we lose it, we will be in a deeper hole than we are already in. What they will be able to occupy and defend will become theirs by right of conquest. Sure, the right of conquest is no longer acceptable, but tell that to the Israelis, to the Russians, and to the Chinese. Oh, not to forget the Americans, of course.

So, are we biding our time? Are we lulling the Chinese to complacency, making them think we will not fight back? Are we afraid of their submarines lurking in our waters, ready to sink us at the first sign of resistance?

What will it take for puny Philippines to push back behemoth China from its encroachments on our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea?

There is no one single way to address the matter. There’s the diplomatic, the legal, the economic, the military, the fraternal, the alliance-building, the cyber, the illegal, and any combination of these approaches. On the legal and alliance-building fronts, we have the advantage. Our military also has the combat experience that China doesn’t have. In most everything else, we are comparatively much weaker. And shall remain so.

We can never hope to achieve economic and military parity with China. Despite all the alliance-building and hasty chopsuey military modernization, we can never catch up. Symmetry is therefore out of the question. Fortunately, symmetry is not necessary.

Fighting and winning do not mean us subjugating China. It only means driving them out of our exclusive economic zone and keeping them out.

Thus, not fighting back doesn’t make sense. We don’t have to do it head on. We can strike where the enemy is weak. While numerous, their maritime assets have stretched supply lines, and our islets that they have fortified are completely exposed. Timing is everything and every time we pass up the chance to fight back the threat grows, as it alarmingly has over these recent months. 

What is holding us back? Is it the “rules-based international order” mantra our politicians, diplomats and military are parroting? There is no such thing if the rules and the order are not mutually observed. Even that favorite word America uses to signify its support for the Philippine cause—“ironclad”—leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Why don’t they put more money and weapons where their mouth is? 

Exposing the conduct of China to the world? Who cares? Don’t you get tired of the latest report of blocking, ramming, water-cannoning and flare-shooting against our hapless ships and planes? And us not even doing anything about it except for some ineffectual diplomatic protest? There’s not even a peep from our Asean neighbors. How come every time we are harassed with flares, water-cannoned or rammed, it is mainly the Westerners and Australians who condemn it? Other than Japan and lately Vietnam and Taiwan, no other Asian country is willing to stick its neck out for us. They have chosen sides and, apparently, we don’t figure in their calculations. Actually, it does not matter.

What matters as a territorial, political and diplomatic ally in our conflict with China is Taiwan. We must stand with Taiwan. We cannot allow an expansionist China so close, not only at our doorstep but already with foot and leg through the door. Having the Chinese in Taiwan means us having very little response time to any attack they may launch.

If Taiwan is occupied by China, our Asean neighbors can also kiss their maritime exclusive economic zones goodbye. Taiwan is the linchpin on which the war for the South China Sea rests. It’s the Domino Principle all over again. But this time, it will be for real. That’s why we need to buttress buffers between us and China. That’s primarily Taiwan and secondarily Vietnam. (But I digress, and that’s for another essay.)

In the movie “The Magnificent 7,” when the grieving widow (i.e., our grieving country) asks the gunfighter (played by Denzel Washington—hey, it’s Washington!) to help defend her town, the gunfighter asks her, “So you seek revenge?” The grieving widow answers, “I seek righteousness, as we all should, but I will take revenge.”  Lofty goals may be ours to proclaim, but they should not stymie us into inaction.

Keeping the moral high ground? We have the moral high ground. We also have the legal, historical, territorial high ground. China is the interloper and, just like any interloper, should be resoundingly kicked out. To continuously submit to their gray-zone (now getting darker) tactics is to buy into their strategy and allow them to define the rules of the game. In the meantime, what do we achieve? Are we able to exploit and protect our rich maritime resources for ourselves and for Filipino generations to come? Are we able to let our fishermen fish in peace and provide for their families?

We are bullied because we allow ourselves to be bullied.

Shall we be the world’s best domestics and nurses forever and, in addition, be the world’s most bullied people? 

More than any other country, we should realize that the only respect that matters is self-respect.

Read more: Gov’t urged: Defend, assert territorial integrity in West Philippine Sea