Philippines adjusts key personnel, buys 5 more ships from Japan, affirms 'tough' stance against China in the East Sea

Two Chinese law enforcement vessels fired warning shots at a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea. (Photo: VCG)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at the recent graduation ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy that the Southeast Asian nation faces moves that challenge international law.

Without mentioning the country by name, the Philippine leader affirmed the Philippines' determination to strongly protect "what is its own".

The strong statements by the Philippine leader were made in the context of increasingly frequent conflicts, sometimes fierce clashes, between the Philippine coast guard and military and China in the East Sea.

The most notable recent move was the announcement on May 18 by the Philippine Army of a change in command overseeing forces in the West Philippine Sea, the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.

Accordingly, Rear Admiral Alfonso Torress Jr. will replace Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos as commander of the Western Philippine Command (Wescom) on Palawan Island, an island with a western coast bordering the South China Sea and the largest island in the Philippines.

According to a statement from the Philippine military, the appointment is “part of a plan to adjust leadership and key positions in the military, necessary to adapt to the changing security environment and effectively respond to emerging challenges.”

The event comes after a series of incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels near disputed reefs in the South China Sea that have strained diplomatic relations.

These include water cannon attacks by Chinese coast guard vessels as well as minor collisions in recent months in which Manila accused Chinese vessels of damaging Philippine boats and injuring some soldiers.

Not only has the Philippines made statements expressing its firmness and determination to protect its sovereignty claims, it has recently continuously strengthened its alliances and partnerships to promote its defense capabilities.

The Philippines recently agreed to buy five coast guard patrol boats from Japan in a deal worth more than $400 million.

Japan's Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying Japan would lend the Philippines 64.38 billion yen ($413 million) to buy five 97-meter multi-purpose response vessels and pay for "development of necessary support facilities."

“This will assist the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in improving its capabilities in conducting maritime operations, particularly in addressing transnational crime,” the statement said.

Tokyo is now the top provider of overseas development assistance to the Philippines.

The PCG currently has two patrol vessels, which are insufficient to meet mission requirements in the waters surrounding this vast island nation.

In recent months, Philippine vessels have had several collisions with Chinese coast guard vessels around disputed reefs in the South China Sea.

As part of their efforts to strengthen security cooperation, Manila and Tokyo are negotiating a defense pact that would allow them to deploy troops on each other’s territory. The leaders of Japan and the Philippines — both longtime U.S. allies — also traveled to Washington last month for a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.

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