Balikatan ‘correct path forward’ for Philippines in West Philippine Sea

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April 26, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — An international think tank believes that expanded military cooperation with allies is the “correct path forward” for the Philippines in handling the situation in the West Philippine Sea.

Stratbase Institute president Dindo Manhit yesterday expressed “unequivocal support” for this year’s Balikatan exercises, which will bring together more than 17,000 troops from the Philippines and partner nations, including the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand.

For Manhit, the exercises send a “clear and unambiguous message… that the Philippines and its partners are prepared to defend the rules-based international order against coercion, intimidation and unlawful claims.”

“It affirms that we are not isolated, and that our national security is anchored in strong alliances with nations that uphold international law and share our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he added.

Manhit pointed to how China continues to ignore the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

“That victory is final and non?negotiable. To dilute it – whether through silence, inaction, especially as the country approaches the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award – is to erode the legal and moral clarity it firmly established,” he said.

“Public trust in engagements with China remains low because experience has repeatedly validated caution. The Philippines must not bargain away its sovereign rights for promises that carry neither credibility nor accountability,” Manhit added.