Defense and military authorities are bracing for a possible escalation of tensions anew between China and the Philippines amid the raging territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) that could raise the specter of a confrontation if neither side backs down. This, following Beijing’s declaration of the start of a “fishing ban” in the territory that it claims, including the Scarborough Shoal. The government through the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) chaired by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said recently that it will not recognize China’s fishing ban, thus openly challenging for the first time Beijing’s fishing prohibition in the waters of Scarborough.

Acosta, R. (2021, May 8). Emerging 'tinderbox': PHL defies China's reported 'fishing ban' in disputed WPS, including Scarborough. Business Mirror, p. A1.