A bigger role for the United States in the West Philippine Sea

By Manuel Mogato | Date 06-26-2024

MANILA — The US Navy’s 7th Fleet began this year’s summer patrol in the region as its flagship, USS Blue Ridge, sailed into the calm waters of Manila Bay.

The timing was perfect. It was only a day after a swarm of Chinese Coast Guard rubber boats attacked with machetes and knives, two Philippine Navy rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine Navy’s RHIBs were approaching BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting naval transport stranded in the submerged Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, approximately 120 nautical miles from Palawan.

Several members of the Navy’s Special Operations Group (NAVSOG), the equivalent of the US Navy SEAL team, were hurt; one lost a finger when the Chinese rubber boat rammed one of the RHIBs.

The military released a video of the June 17 incident, infuriating most Filipinos and demanding a strong response from the government.

Some security analysts and military officials suggested invoking the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), inviting the United States military to intervene and defend its oldest ally in the region.
However, the defense department disagreed. The non-kinetic attack on the navy’s RHIBs was not enough to invoke the treaty.

“We’re not yet ready to classify this as an armed attack,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said, dismissing the incident as a “misunderstanding or an accident.”

Some lawmakers, including Senate majority leader Francis Tolentino, agreed with the defense department.

Invoking the MDT, a Cold War relic, does not necessarily mean declaring war.

There are legal processes to go to war, including legislative approval on both sides. Political leaders believed that the MDT should be the last resort. There are many options available on both sides that could deter China from further harassment in the West Philippine Sea.  (Also read: Philippines adopts new defense strategy to protect maritime borders)

The Philippines can request the United States to play a much larger role in the West Philippine Sea.
As early as October 2023, there had been discussions in the US Congress on how the US military could demonstrate its “ironclad” commitment to the alliance.

The US can provide the Philippines with military, quasi-military, and diplomatic support. (Also read: The Inevitability of Armed Conflict in the South China Sea)

Three senators, including Marco Rubio, had submitted a letter to President Biden requesting the Pentagon and the State Department to provide “a full list” of options to “support the Philippines and ensure the resupply” of the BRP Sierra Madre.

China has been harassing the resupply mission, shadowing, blocking, ramming, and blasting with water cannons the civilian supply boats delivering food, fresh water, and other supplies.

For instance, the US lawmakers discussed some military options, like sending a rotation of US forces to support Philippine troops on the BRP Sierra Madre and sending US Navy escorts on resupply missions.

The US Navy had done these options when China put up a blockade on a small Taiwanese island years before. US Navy vessels sent patrols, showing the flag to ease tensions.

Some lawmakers had recommended less direct forms of US support, such as providing additional military assistance and training to the Philippines; expanding US force posture in the region; coordinating with other claimants to counter China’s territorial ambitions, and keeping US lines of communication open with Beijing.

Diplomacy and dialogue remain the best option.

Some US lawmakers also caution that a more direct US military role supporting the Philippines could increase the risk of an incident between US and Chinese forces. 

In any negotiation with China, the US sitting beside the Philippines would also help ensure a fair and amicable dispute settlement. Dealing with China alone, the Philippines has no leverage.
There are also non-military options, like involving the US Coast Guard. 

In a September 2023 testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, the USCG Pacific Area commander said the USCG has an “outstanding relationship” with the Philippine Coast Guard and there were ongoing efforts to help the Philippines “enforce their sovereignty.”

This year, the US Coast Guard planned to acquire four new coastal vessels to bolster its capability in the region.

The Philippines and the US are avoiding a direct confrontation with China, with the executive secretary stepping on the brakes of angry rhetoric and taking a more conciliatory approach. 

“If China wants to work with us, we can,” Bersamin told a news conference. “We’ll work with China.”
The next moves from the United States would be interesting to watch. The presence of the USS Blue Ridge could be a happy coincidence.