MANILA, Philippines – As China continues its incursions in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines said that it was crafting guidelines on the conduct of maritime activities in the waterway, including joint patrols with the country’s allies.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed the development on Thursday, March 2, after senior officials from the United States, Japan, and Australia had held meetings with Philippine officials in recent weeks.

“GPH (Government of the Philippines) is in the process of crafting guidelines for the conduct of combined maritime activities in the WPS, including joint patrols,” the DFA said in a statement.

It added that the Philippines and US would discuss “operational details, including on the possibility of engaging other regional partners” as part of the two country’s security cooperation.

No other details were offered as of posting.

The DFA’s statements comes after officials from the US, Japan, and Australia separately tackled the possibility of conducting joint patrols with the Philippines as part of efforts to address China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea.

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The Philippines had previously suspended joint patrols with the US in October 2016 under orders from former president Rodrigo Duterte.

In February 2023, Manila and Washington confirmed that the two countries had agreed to restart joint patrols, after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III made his first trip to the Philippines under the Marcos administration.

Since then, officials from both countries have said that advanced talks were underway on the issue.

Japan, meanwhile, earlier said that it was exploring the possibility of cooperating with partners to reinforce maritime domain awareness and maritime law enforcement activities in the region.

Meanwhile, in a visit to the Philippines last February 22, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles likewise confirmed that it was in talks for the conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea.

“We will continue that work and we hope that that comes to fruition soon,” Marles said.

In an effort to shore up it presence and defense in the West Philippines Sea, the Marcos administration has sought to expand security ties with the Philippine regional partners, while focusing international attention on the dispute.

In 2016, the Philippines won a landmark legal award asserting its rights in the West Philippine Sea. China though has continued to ignore the ruling, which it considered “invalid.”

The 2016 Hague ruling struck down China’s expansive claims, actions, and nine-dash-line in the South China Sea as illegal. – Rappler.com