The move, observers said, could help Manila avoid the “pendulum” swing that had seen its foreign policy shift repeatedly between Washington and Beijing in recent years, and instead forge a more consistent approach rooted in national interest.
At a security forum on Tuesday, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the initiative was a direct response to “China’s baseless, excessive and expansive territorial claims, militarisation, and confrontations with its neighbours”.
Año, who also heads the National Security Council, cited Beijing’s activities in Scarborough Shoal – known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc – where Chinese coastguard and militia vessels have maintained a presence since a 2012 stand-off.
“[Their presence] is a clear contrast to what we advance in our collective pursuit of a stable, just and rules-based maritime order,” Año said. “Even more concerning, our other rightful territories, not just Bajo de Masinloc, have been subjected to adverse claims and illegal occupation or control.”
