maritime claims, historical complexities and geostrategic competition.31 Aside from this, the inherent geographic makeup of the Philippines and Japan as ar- chipelagic states, and the long shorelines of the US bordered by large masses of oceans on the East and West coasts, hightail vulnerability on strategic contain- ment if the SLOCs bordering the area are not properly managed and secured.
The rampant maritime piracy attacks have also driven the need for multilateral maritime security cooperation, especially with the export-laden and shipping economy of Japan and the US. Aside from this general interest on the safety of navigation, the three countries also share a broader strategic emphasis on the preservation of a rule-based order at seas in accordance with relevant interna- tional laws such as the UNCLOS.
• The Philippines is one of the major recipient and focus of Japan’s renewed commitment of “burden-sharing” with US (thru helping its allies) to pro- mote regional peace and stability. Japan has also been resolute to fortify the Philippines maritime security (thru joint maritime exercises and trans- fer of equipment and expertise), which is vital for the Philippines to safe- guard its maritime interests on the disputed areas in the SCS/WPS ; and,
• US, as the Philippines only ally, has been actively promoting multilateral cooperation among its regional allies for an expanded and seamless net- work of operations in an increasingly fluid security architecture.
With the sum of the PH-US, PH-JPN and US-JPN enhanced defense coop- eration, the renewed defense policy of Japan (multi-tiered security approach), and the refocusing of US national security policy (hub-and-spoke) in the Asia Pacific region, the Philippines is caught in the threshold of committing fully into a promising trilateral partnership based on shared strategic emphasis.
Though there is a significant increase for regional dialogues, the disconnected initiatives and often compromising, non-binding nature of the discussion fails to address the root of current geostrategic concerns. During these times of un- certainty, then, and in the absence of a wilful organization to castigate over- powering states, the Philippines must sought alternative venue to push forth its national interests – that is a dynamic and clearly-defined trilateral coopera- tion with US and Japan.
The Philippines must shape its foreign policy direction towards a multi-tiered security approach to secure its strategic interests and maximize all available prospects for strengthening this hold. To achieve this, the Philip- pines must conscientiously review its defense and diplomatic policy to loosen up restrictions, and that it may fully explore those rising opportunities and trends on regional security integration. Additional prospects must be explored through the PH-US-JPN strategic convergence on maritime security and obser- vance of international laws, values and principles in the conduct of nations at sea.
However, given the growing misconceptions on the direction of the PH-US-JPN cooperation as anti-Beijing, the Philippines must be wary on the messaging of its security and diplomatic approaches to avoid further escala- tion of conflict. While it is true that the aggressiveness of China is a shared concern between the Philippines, US and Japan, it is not the be-all and end-all of the said relations. Though the Philippines, US and Japan have placed differ- ent priorities on the relationship, it remains to be an “order-centric” nature of
cooperation rather than threat-based.
The Philippines also shows continued receptiveness on expanding its security networks as regional rivalries intensify. However, with the frag- ile internal institutions in the Philippines and the bureaucratic hardships in instigating radical changes, the possibility for a robust PH-US-JPN trilateral cooperation may still be a farfetched reality in the absence of strong-willed policymakers.
In conclusion, the survival of the Philippines as a nation is paramount, everything else is secondary. Whatever be its foreign policy and alliances with the US and Japan, it must always negotiate through to carry the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the Filipino people. It is inevitable for the Philippines to get involved in this regional territorial and maritime conflict, as it cannot escape its geography from the opposing interests of major powers. This period of rela- tive peace, dominant states will accomplish their foreign policy goals through a combination of robust diplomacy, clandestine activities like persuasive eco- nomic and financial leverage, and occupation of disputed territory by quasi- military force. It is also understandable that in the international order, there are no permanent friends, only interests. The Philippines has no better option but to take a side. To expand its alliances towards multilateral or tripartite with the US and Japan, for now it is the better option.
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The views contained in this essay are strictly the author’s personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of the Armed Forces of the Philippines nor of the Philippine Government.
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