MANILA — Being more open on issues in the West Philippine Sea may be part of the paradigm shift on the issue that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has hinted at, maritime security expert Ray Powell said Monday, adding engagement with other nations has benefited the Philippines.

Marcos said over the weekend that diplomatic efforts with China have been going in “a poor direction” and that there needs to be a new approach to tension over the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

• Marcos: 'Paradigm shift' needed on West Philippine Sea issue

Powell, speaking on ANC’s “Headstart”, noted that the Philippines has been more open about incidents and confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, saying the country “turned the cameras on this year and showed the world what’s happening.”

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The previous Duterte administration had played down incidents in the West Philippine Sea and had preferred bilateral talks with China to ease tension, saying the country could not afford to antagonize Beijing.

“All of a sudden, the rest of the world is seeing this level of maritime aggression from China and recognizing that this has been going on for quite some time and we haven’t been paying attention,” Powell, of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, said.

• Marcos welcomes start of PH, US joint patrols

PH ENGAGEMENT WITH PARTNERS

Powell, a former US Air Force officer, said that increased engagement with other nations, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan, has brought the country equipment and assistance on maritime security as well as support from the international community.

“If Beijing looks at the Philippines as an isolated country, it will always think that it has the edge,” Powell said. “But if it looks at the Philippines as part of a large network of like-minded security partners who are willing to make real material sacrifices for Manila, that changes Beijing’s calculus a great deal.”

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The US — the Philippines’ treaty ally and former colonizer — and partner nations as well as the European Union have been consistent in calling out China over incidents in the West Philippine Sea, including the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels at Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal.

Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, said in a separate interview that the Philippine’s tack of engaging the public and the international community on the West Philippine Sea “is correct”.

He said that China has been consistent in its aggressive behavior in Philippine waters and that “right now, we have the moral high ground: We are being perceived not just as being bullied…but as a state doing what’s right.”

Tolentino added that an expected Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan that will allow Japanese troops and equipment into the Philippines “is a step in the right direction” and will bridge the gap in ships and equipment that the Philippines faces.

• PH wants defense pact with Japan signed by next year

CHINA BLAMES PHILIPPINES FOR INCIDENTS

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China, which has rejected the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims over the South China Sea, has stood firm that incidents in the West Philippine Sea were caused by “deliberate infringement and provocation” by the Philippines.

“China is willing to properly manage differences with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Tuesday.

China has also stressed that issues in the South China Sea should be settled within the region and has accused the US and the West of meddling in Asia.

CONCERN OVER MORE FOREIGN TROOPS IN PH

Activist groups like Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) have warned against allowing even more foreign troops into the Philippines, saying this could heighten tensions in the West Philippine Sea and could drag the country into conflicts between bigger nations.

Bayan Muna party-list in October suggested civilian joint patrols by Association of Southeast Asian Nations members as part of a "framework of initiatives for peace in the [West Philippine Sea]."

Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said then that the patrols would primarily focus on countering piracy, smuggling and human trafficking as well as on disaster relief and response.

“While the purpose of joint patrols is civilian in character, it can also discourage aggressive actions by China, or any other disputant, which could escalate the existing tension," he said.