THE Armed Forces yesterday asked China to restrain its forces and avoid any action that will endanger lives in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
The call was made by Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesman, following reports of another incident of Chinese harassment of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship in the area.
“The Secretary of National Defense (Carlito Galvez) has already declared or said that the act committed by the Coast Guard of China is offensive and unsafe. Therefore, I think is time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger the lives of people,” Aguilar said in an ambush interview in Camp Aguinaldo.
“They should prove by act that we are friends. Just like what secretary has said, what they did is offensive and unsafe. They should not do that again,” said Aguilar.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest reported incident. China has said it was ready to manage maritime issues “cordially” with the Philippines during President Ferdinand Marcos’ visit to Beijing in January.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue a statement on the latest incident. The DFA has said it has filed 461 diplomatic protests since 2016 against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. Last year, the DFA lodged 195 diplomatic protests and four so far this year.
The PCG has said a Chinese coast guard vessel, with bow number 5205, directed a military-grade laser light at the PCG’s BRP Malapascua on Monday last week near the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal, causing temporary blindness of the ship’s crew members.
Aguilar said this was the first time the Chinese used a military-grade laser light on a Philippine ship but said this should not cause an escalation of the tension in the West Philippine Sea.
The PCG said BRP Malapascua was supporting a rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy (PN) at Ayungin at that time.
“As BRP Malapascua reached a 10 NM (nautical miles) distance from Ayungin Shoal, the CCG (China Coast Guard) vessel was monitored approximately 4 NM of the ship’s dead ahead maneuvering from the portside heading starboard side,” the PCG said in a statement.
“The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge. The Chinese vessel also made dangerous maneuvers by approaching about 150 yards from the vessel’s starboard quarter,” the PCG added.
PCG spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said the PCG ship, at that time, was escorting a civilian vessel which was contracted by the Navy to deliver supplies and troops at Ayungin Shoal.
Filipino troops occupying Ayungin Shoal are staying at the BRP Sierra Madre which the military grounded at the shoal in 1999 to serve as an outpost.
The shoal is about 174 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan and well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Balilo said the Chinese vessel cut the path of BRP Malapascua which was tailing the civilian vessel. He said the civilian vessel managed to pass and completed its mission.
SOVEREIGN RIGHT
In the statement, the PCG said BRP Malapascua later altered its course and headed towards another Philippine-occupied area, Lawak Island, “to continue her maritime patrol” and support BRP Teresa Magbanua in executing the PCG’s own rotation and resupply mission to its stations in the West Philippine Sea.
“The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,” the PCG said.
On whether PCG ship’s decision to alter its course was a sign of surrender, Balilo said, “Not really. We’re are just calibrating (our actions) to prevent the escalation of the situation.”
The PCG also disclosed that in August, a China Coast Guard vessels also prevented BRP Teresa Magbanua, from getting near Ayungin Shoal while also providing security to a Navy resupply mission.
It said one of the vessels involved in the August incident also had a bow number 5205. It said the Chinese ship removed the cover of its 70-mm gun when BRP Teresa Magbanua was about 2.5 nautical miles from Ayungin Shoal.
“The said CCG ship, together with the two Chinese maritime militia and CCG 5102, formed a 13 NM-radius blockade with the grounded PN vessel (BRP Sierra Madre) as its reference to prevent Philippine government ships from reaching the AFP troops,” the PCG said.
The PCG said it was evident that the Chinese maritime vessels took orders from the Chinese ship “to prevent the Philippine ships from entering the shoal.”
“The CMM (Chinese maritime militia) even deployed their utility boats to support the blockade and shadowing by the CCG,” the PCG said.
CONTINUED PATROLS
Balilo said the PCG has submitted to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and Department of Foreign Affairs a report on the latest incident for the possible filing of diplomatic protest against China.
During the visit of President Marcos Jr to China last month, Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to peacefully settle the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
The two sides also “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region and the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea.”
Balilo said PCG will continue conducting patrols in the West Philippine Sea despite the incident.
“Our patrols are continuing. It (incident) will not prevent us from following the order of the President,” said Balilo.
Balilo said the President had issued a directive for the PCG to maintain presence in the West Philippine Sea.
“Our ships are there, they are not not leaving the area to secure our fishermen,” said Balilo.
Sought for comment on he latest incident, DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong just said, “The appropriate agencies are handling the situation and looking at it already… Concerned agencies are managing this incident already.”
A security official said Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea are different from what their leaders are saying.
“They have already publicized their statement (to peacefully resolve the dispute) but what’s happening in the high seas is something different… What the higher-ups are saying is not what we see happening there in high seas,” the official said.
DIPLOMATIC PROTEST
Sen. Francis Escudero said the Department of Foreign Affairs can summon the Chinese ambassador to air the government’s concern or the government can file another diplomatic protest over the February 6 incident at Ayungin Shoal.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said the Chinese leadership should restrain the behavior of its coast guard, navy, and maritime militia “that might further inflame the situation in the West Philippine Sea.”
“Tensions are already high, but what is China doing instead? She is only getting more brazen by the day. Her shameless harassment, causing temporary blindness to Filipino crew members, should warrant a penalty,” she said.
She also said Malacañang and the DFA should immediately meet with other claimant countries in the ASEAN and member-states of the QUAD “to ensure that peace is upheld in our waters.”
“We need to establish an updated security framework with our partners in the region as soon as possible. Magpapatuloy ang pambabastos ng Tsina kung hindi sila napipigilan (China will continue to bully us if it is not stopped),” she added.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva said the country should not get tired of filing diplomatic protests to show the world that the Philippines cannot be bullied.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said “it is about time” that the Philippines enter into an alliance with the US and Japan and other ASEAN nations because China just ignores the diplomatic protests filed by the Philippines.
University of the Philippines professor and maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal said the use of the military-grade laser by China can be considered an unprovoked and overt threat of the use of force against another state.
“An act of aggression? Lasers are classified as `directed energy weapons’ which have the potential to cause disproportionate human injury or suffering. China begins crossing the line between the gray zone and black & white in asserting its excessive maritime claims,” Batongbacal said in a Facebook post. — With Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa and Reuters
