Philippines eyes multilateral effort to avert West Philippine Sea clashes

The Philippines will boost multilateral activities including freedom of navigation patrols in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Gilbero Teodoro said on Wednesday, expressing hope that more countries would "join our fight" after an altercation with China this week.

The Philippines and China earlier this week accused each other of raising tensions, with Manila saying the China Coast Guard intentionally collided with its boats on a resupply mission to a small contingent of troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre grounded on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) two decades ago.

The incident, near the disputed Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, drew widespread condemnation of Beijing, which says it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international arbitration award declaring that claim has no legal basis.

The recent incident with China "could result in more willing nations to join our fight," Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a televised interview on state-run PTV. He did not elaborate on what that would entail.

Teodoro also said he is optimistic on the progress on reciprocal access agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

Philippine ties with China have deteriorated this year, with more confrontations at sea, coinciding with Manila strengthening its decades-old military alliance with the United States, including granting Washington expanded access to its bases.

Hours after the collision on Sunday between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Philippine vessels off Ayungin Shoal, the US and Canada denounced the former's dangerous maneuvers.

Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said the US condemned China's "latest disruption of a legal Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal" and for "putting the lives of Filipino service members at risk."

"We stand with our #FriendsPartnersAllies in protecting Philippine sovereignty and in support of a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific," Carlson said on X.

The Canadian Embassy in the Philippines, meanwhile, also condemned the collision, saying it was provoked by CCG’s “unlawful and dangerous conduct.”

Luc Veron, European Union's top diplomat to Manila, said, "These incidents, their repetition and intensification are dangerous and very disturbing.

"We join the Philippines in its call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea," he said.

Ambassador of Japan in the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko expressed support to the Philippines Monday after the latter’s vessel had collision with China’s ships on Sunday.

The Japanese envoy said that he was “seriously concerned” and “alarmed" about the incident as he opposed supposed attempts “to change the status quo by force or coercion”. —Reuters/KG, GMA Integrated News