The cries of protests of activists rang out during the speech of war-freak US congressman Rep. Darrell Issa at the conference of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington, DC last July 11. They condemned the US military presence in the Philippines, its crimes against the Filipino people and its war provocations against its imperialist rival China.

Issa is a member of the US-Philippine Friendship Caucus and the US House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is pushing the US Congress to grant the Philippines an additional $500 million in military aid. Issa is openly provoking the Philippines-China conflict over the West Philippine Sea, to advance the interests of the US.

In his speech, Issa praised the US imperialist’s successful push for Japan to send military troops to the Philippines to fight a “common enemy” that is China.

Under the guise of hypocritically defending the “free seas and maritime territories of Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines,” Issa criticized the alleged “aggressive” activities of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. “If we do nothing, we will witness how these countries and territories will be engulfed, directly or indirectly,” he threatened.

Meanwhile in a letter on July 12, two US senators asked President Joe Biden to provide “a complete list of military, economic and diplomatic options prepared by the Pentagon and the US State Department to support the Philippines in its confrontation with China in the WPS.”

Philippine accomplices

Issa and US senators connive with the many US imperialist-paid hacks in the Philippines to wage war against China. At the behest of the US, they clamor non-stop to further heighten tensions in the WPS and incite the Filipinos’ “patriotism” against China.

These include former US air force officer Col. Raymond M. Powell, who is afforded with plenty amounts of television time and interviews by Philippine media companies since last year. Powell describes himself as a “security analyst” and “maritime expert.”

Powell is a US psywar operative and agent-provocateur who goads Philippine security forces to conduct provocative operations in the West Philippine Sea, and to use the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty with the US. He makes non-stop claims that China is not open to talks and that there is no more room for diplamacy and dialogue.

He works with Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for the WPS, who recently trained in Washington, DC. Although under the command of the PCG, Tarriela always has his own “opinion” on WPS matters. His statements are all over and sometimes contradicts the statement of the spokesperson of the entire PCG and the Philippine Navy. Tarriela escalates tensions in the WPS and knowingly spreads disinformation or half-truths.

Local pro-US “think tanks” are also actively promoting the US rhetoric and line about WPS. This includes the Stratbase ADR Institute, an institution funded by big business and foreign governments, and actively working with the US and Australian embassies. Like Powell, local media also provides space to the International Development and Security Cooperation group, and some selected pro-US academics.

Furthermore, the Armed Forces of the Philippines itself is also active in psywar to justify its actions to escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea. It launched on June 28 its “information campaign” Mulat.

8th year of arbitral ruling on the WPS

On the 8th year anniversary of the arbitral ruling on the WPS, fisherfolk and youths launched a peaceful fluvial parade in Subic, Zambales on July 12. They emphasized the need for patriotic Filipinos to push for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to assert the country’s sovereign right at its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

A decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on 2016 invalidated China’s claim of a “9-dash line” covering the entirety of the South China Sea, including much of the WPS. The court also affirmed the sovereign right of the Philippines to its 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the country’s baseline coast which is considered its EEZ. This is stipulated under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The decision also stated that Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) is a common fishing ground shared by traditional or small-scale Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese fisherfolk. This means that Filipino fisherfolk cannot be prevented from entering and fishing in the area. Although the Scarborough Shoal lie within Philippine’s 200 nautical miles, it is not covered by the Philippine EEZ.

They also criticized China’s harassment of Philippine vessels sailing in the EEZ. It emphasized China’s environmental destruction of some parts of the West Philippine Sea due to its reclamation projects in the area to build artificial islands.