Duterte order to not join naval exercises in South China Sea within rule of law —Bacordo

Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo on Monday underscored that President Rodrigo Duterte's order prohibiting Philippine troops from joining other countries in conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea is within the rule of law.

In an online news forum by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Bacordo cited a provision in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, to which the Philippines, even China, are signatories.

The provision, he said, states that activities which could further result in rows must be avoided.

"The ten ASEAN countries plus China signed this 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. If you look at Provision No. 5, let me read here, 'Parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect the peace and stability in that region'," Bacordo said.

"Our guiding principle here is the rule of law. What the President and the Secretary of National Defense pronounced is consistent with this 2002 document," he added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said Duterte has a standing order for Philippine forces to not be involved in naval exercises in the region to avoid the escalation of tension.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte's directive was in line with the government’s independent foreign policy. 

Meanwhile, the Navy chief was asked for his comment on the alleged violations of China due to its activities in the South China Sea despite being a signatory of the said declaration.

"That's China. We are guided by the rule of law. We want to maintain the moral high ground. Our resort now is through the Department of Foreign Affairs, we have been providing them with all the data and the Department of Foreign Affairs has never been remiss in their functions in putting diplomatic protests. All of these diplomatic protests, some of these inputs came from the Philippine Navy," he said.

Options leading to conflict should be avoided

Bacordo noted that in handling territorial issues in the region, Duterte prefers that "options that may lead to a shooting war with China should be avoided."

He, however, shared an instance when Duterte directed him to protect the Philippines and its citizens after he had assumed post as Navy chief.

"The President told me, 'Protect the country, protect the people.' Those two phrases, I interpret it as to continue all of these missions in the West Philippine Sea. But options leading to an armed conflict should be avoided," Bacordo said.

Bacordo also said that since Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, members of China's armed forces or its People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been accommodating to Philippine troops.

China claims a huge portion of the West Philippine Sea as part of its territory. However, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated this claim on July 12, 2016.

Beijing has been refusing to recognize the ruling as it still continues to conduct activities in the area. — BM, GMA News