By Felipe Salvosa II
PressOne.PH
During a confirmation hearing of 35 military officers, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta framed his extended intervention as one of pragmatism and a call for restraint – in the name of “national interest” – amid tensions between the Philippines and China.
Did he help the Philippine stance or not? Below is the “full context” that he says was “abbreviated” by critics. You be the judge.
- Marcoleta opened by saying he wanted to raise broader policy concerns. He proceeded to criticize the social media exchanges between the Coast Guard’s Commodore Jay Tarriela and the Chinese embassy, arguing that such back-and-forth did not help bilateral relations.
- Citing a letter from the foreign affairs secretary to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Marcoleta stressed that disputes between states were best handled through diplomacy rather than a word war, and questioned what “strategic objective or national interest” was achieved by Tarriela’s public criticism of China and its leader.
- Using a metaphor, he asked whether a burning house should be doused with water or gasoline, underscoring his view that public criticism risked further escalating tensions.
KIG and EEZ: A central theme of Marcoleta’s recent remarks was his insistence that the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the West Philippine Sea should not be treated as the same thing.
- He pointed out that the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling had addressed the EEZ issue but did not touch the West Philippine Sea, the name given by the Aquino III administration in 2012 to the portion of the South China Sea covered by the Philippine EEZ, and adopted by the 2024 baselines law passed by Congress.
- Republic Act 12064, or the “Philippine Maritime Zones Act,” actually states that “The maritime zones of the Philippines on the western side of the Philippine archipelago, including the Luzon Sea and the territorial seas of Bajo de Masinloc and the maritime features of the Kalayaan Island Group, shall be collectively called the West Philippine Sea.”
- Marcoleta devoted a lengthy portion of his intervention to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), naming specifically — Pag-asa, Kota, Parola, and Lankiam Cay — and repeatedly asserting that these maritime features lie “way, way beyond” the Philippine EEZ.
Controversial statement: At one point, Marcoleta said that as long as the KIG remained part of the picture, it would be difficult to draw a map for deposit to the United Nations or the international hydrographic body, without eliciting objections from other claimant states.
- Referring to the 2016 arbitral ruling, he said that features in the Spratlys and the KIG were classified as “rocks” that do not generate their own EEZs.
- He claimed the continued inclusion of the KIG complicated the work of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) and the Department of Foreign Affairs in producing and submitting an official map to the United Nations and the International Hydrographic Organization.
- It was in this context that Marcoleta made his controversial statement, saying it would be easier to “give up” the KIG so that things could proceed smoothly.
He warned that Filipino soldiers might be asked to die over areas that, in his view, were not even within the country’s EEZ. (We wrote about that assertion here.)
Yes, Kalayaan is not entirely in the EEZ. But that’s not the point.
‘Not pro-China’: Anticipating criticism, Marcoleta directly addressed accusations that he was advancing China’s interests. He categorically denied being “pro-China,” declaring instead that he was acting in what he believed to be the best interests of the Philippines.
- He recounted a recent meeting with the Chinese ambassador, whom he quoted as saying that foreign relations should not be treated as a “zero-sum” game. Marcoleta said he offered to facilitate communication between Chinese officials and Philippine defense authorities.
- He also suggested starting cooperation on less sensitive issues such as fishing, arguing that traditional fishing rights were not territorial in nature and could serve as a good starting point.
- Other countries like Vietnam and Malaysia had successfully pursued more joint exploration projects with China, while the Philippines was being left behind because of all the “patutsadahan” (verbal provocations).
Excerpts from Senator Marcoleta’s Feb. 4 intervention
- Purpose of his intervention
“Sa akin pong palagay silang lahat po ay dapat maconfirm na ngayong araw na ito. Pero Mr. Chair, I’d like to take advantage of their presence.”
- On public statements vs China
“Ako po ay naniniwala na ito po ay hindi nakakatulong sa dalawang bansa.”
“Kung ang isa pong bahay ay nasusunog, ito po ba sasabuyan natin ang gasolina o tubig?”
- On Commodore Jay Tarriela’s statements
“Personal po ni Commodore Tarriela ang kanyang ginawa, tama po?”
“Ano pong strategic objective o national interest ang na-achieve natin sa ginawa ni Commodore Tarriela… What did we gain strategically in terms of national interest?”
“He was not as transparent as he should be in explaining… that our exclusive economic zone and West Philippine Sea are two different animals.”
- On EEZ, baselines, and the 2016 arbitral award
“Meron na po tayong archipelagic baselines which were defined under Republic Act 9522.”
“Ang arbitral award ang in-award lang sa atin at nilinaw, ang ating exclusive economic zone.”
“Hindi po ni-rule ng arbitral award ang West Philippine Sea. Dalawang bagay po yan.”
- On the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG)
“Meron po tayong mga isla na-occupied natin ngayon. Ito ang Kalayaan Island Group.”
“Meron tayong apat na features… Pag-asa, ang Parola, ang Kota at ang Lankiam.”
“They are way, way beyond our EEZ.”
“Basahin po ninyo ang arbitral award… malinaw po ang sinabi na ito pong Spratlys and the KIG are rocks and they do not generate EEZ.”
- On mapping and UN/IHO submission
“They invoke Presidential Decree 1596 at nandun nga po yung KIG.”
[A step needed to call it West Philippine Sea includes having to] “deposit it (the map) in the Office of the UN Secretary General and notify the appropriate international organizations including the International Hydrographic Organization.”
“After 17 years… are you surprised why Namria and the DFA are unable to do this?”
“Kasi nga po yung KIG lies outside our EEZ.”
“Kapag gumawa po sila ng mapa indicating the coordinates… we will violate the Unclos itself.”
- On defense, sacrifice, and risk of war
“Kapag magkakaroon po ng giyera… kayo po ang unang sasagupa dito.”
“We will offer our lives, including the lives of our children and to die for it for something that is not even within our EEZ.”
- Statement proposing to give up the KIG
“Ang gawin natin para madali, i-give up natin yung KIG, then mako-coordinate na natin lahat.”
“But until and unless nandun ‘yung KIG… paano po malalagay sa entire West Philippine Sea?”
“Sa sandaling magagawa ng mapa [and] include mo ‘yung KIG, hindi po pwedeng mangyari ‘yun, lalaban lahat ‘yung mga bansa.”
- On accusations of being pro-China
“Si Marcoleta pro-China? Hindi po.”
“Hindi po ako pro-China kahit kailan. Ako po ay pro-Pilipinas at sa interest ng Pilipinas.”
- On engagement with the Chinese ambassador
“Did you know that I met the ambassador of China because I was invited?”
“[He said] foreign relations is not a zero-sum game. An open discussion, a bilateral discussion is the first start.”
- On fisheries and starting with non-territorial issues
“‘Yung traditional fishing rights, di mabigat na usapin. In public international law, this is only a private right. It does not concern territory. Let’s not talk about territory muna ngayon. Isda muna para sa ganun may mapag-umpisahan tayong isang mabuting bagay.”
Give up KIG? Read Marcoleta’s ‘full context’
Here is the “full context” that he says was “abbreviated” by critics. You be the judge.
Yes, Kalayaan is not entirely in the EEZ. But that’s not the point.
Muddling the issue doesn’t help Manila. It helps Beijing.
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