South China Sea: why did Duterte bar Philippine military from US exercises?

President ‘has a standing order … that we should not involve ourselves in naval exercises in the South China Sea’: defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana

Officially the move is aimed at keeping a lid on tensions, but former senator Antonio Trillanes says it is meant to ‘demonstrate allegiance to China’

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American aircraft carriers in the South China Sea. Photo: EPA

Published: 11:00pm, 4 Aug 2020Updated: 8:30am, 5 Aug 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Philippine navy not to join US-led military exercises in the South China Sea.

“The president has a standing order … that we should not involve ourselves in naval exercises in the South China Sea, except in our national waters, [within] 12 miles of our shores,” defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday.

Lorenzana said the ban was aimed at keeping a lid on tensions in the area, where unease has been rising amid a sharp increase in patrols and surveillance of the area by the United States. Recently, the US departed from its neutral stance on territorial disputes involving various South China Sea nations to describe Beijing’s claims in the area as “unlawful”.

Filipino Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana visits Philippine-occupied Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

“Definitely, if one country’s action is considered belligerent by another, tension will normally rise,” said Lorenzana in ruling out Philippine participation in US exercises.

Analysts said the ban was an effort to placate China and distance the Philippines from its traditional ally, the US.

According to former senator Antonio Trillanes, a retired navy officer, “to the US and other allies, that directive is a clear manifestation of Philippine support of China’s foreign policy in the West Philippine Sea”.