Philippines should use legal, moral leverage in West Philippine Sea – expert

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should leverage its “legal and moral authority” in dealing with China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to a maritime security expert.

Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, said China is using an “asymmetrical” strategy through military might in asserting its claims in the region.

While it is good for the Philippines to improve its assets, such as by acquiring new ships, Powell said this will not make the country at par with China.

“It’s wise for the Philippines to do things asymmetrically,” he said in an interview with “Storycon” on One News yesterday.

“Where does the Philippines have strength? The Philippines has strength, first of all, in its legal standing on the international stage. It has the moral authority as being the clearly aggrieved party, which is recognized by almost any party who is not in Beijing,” he said.

Although China ignores the 2016 arbitral ruling, Powell noted that the world generally recognizes the position of the Philippines.

He also expressed support for the Philippine government’s plan to file another case against China, this time over the environmental destruction that China has caused in the West Philippine Sea.

“This is another example of asymmetric response, relying on the Philippines’ legal and moral authority. By being the aggrieved party, by representing the truth, I think this is an advantage in favor of the Philippines,” said the maritime expert.

He recognized, however, the difficulty in gathering evidence to support the case, noting Chinese presence in areas where the destruction of marine resources is happening.

“If the Philippines is able to get enough evidence, I think it has a great potential to make a difference on the international stage,” he added.

Powell noted that China has stepped up its aggression in the region, mainly in response to the Philippines standing firm on its position.

“If I were to put this back a year and a half, they would have had just a couple of ships around Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, a couple around Ayungin Shoal. They would have maybe a few back up at