Rejection of US help in South China Sea shows Philippines acting on its own: analysts

Chinese and Philippine ships have been embroiled in a series of confrontations in the contested seaway in recent months.

The United States has reiterated its ironclad defence commitments against any attack on Philippine aircraft or vessels in the South China Sea under their 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

But Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said his country would “try to exhaust all possible options that we have before we ask for help” after revealing that the US had extended its support.

“Yes, of course, they have been offering help and they asked us how they could help us in any way,” Brawner said last week.

Rej Torrecampo, a security analyst at the Political Economic Elemental Researchers and Strategists think tank, said Manila’s decision was “a sign that we can do our own military and civilian missions”.

“China’s criticism against us since last year when we started making public what is happening in the West Philippine Sea is that our actions were dictated by the US which is not correct. It’s a wrong characterisation of our action,” Torrecampo said.

The West Philippine Sea is the term Manila uses to describe a portion of the South China Sea that falls within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Torrecampo added roping in the US or other allies to assist operations in the waterway could anger China and influence its aggressive maritime tactics.

“When other countries step in, what will they do? Will they change their standard operating procedure which we have not seen yet? For sure, knowing China, they would be preparing for that because we already announced the US is offering help,” he said.

The Philippines has deepened defence ties with the US after President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr took office in 2022, providing