THE Armed Forces yesterday said China’s deployment of a “monster” ship, the world’s largest coast guard vessel, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is part of Beijing’s “intrusive patrols” aimed at asserting its illegal claim over the area.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the military’s Public Affairs Office, said the deployment of Ship 5901 of the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) undermines peace and stability in the region.
American maritime expert Ray Powell said the 12,000-ton, 165-meter vessel known as “The Monster” was in the vicinity of the Philippine-occupied Ayungin on Monday.
Filipino troops assigned at Ayungin Shoal are billeted at the rusting Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre, which was grounded at the shoal in 1999 to serve as military outpost.
The monster ship was monitored in the area of the unoccupied Escoda Shoal or Sabina Shoal later on Monday. The vessel was also spotted near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island on June 19. Last month, it was also seen near Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag Shoal. China gained control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels.
Trinidad said the presence of the CCG ship near BRP Sierra Madre “is part of a broader pattern of intrusive patrols aimed at asserting unlawful claims over areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).”
Trinidad also said the military continues to be “vigilant and steadfast” in performing its mission to uphold international maritime laws, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We emphasize that such actions by the CCG are illegal, coercive, and contrary to the spirit of maintaining peace and stability in the region,” he said.
“We call on all nations to respect international law and to refrain from actions that escalate tensions in the WPS,” he added.
Trinidad said the Armed Forces will “continue to monitor and report any developments in the WPS in the performance of our mandate.”
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the WPS, said the deployment of CCG 5901 in the WPS is part of China’s excessive claim which was invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
“They (Chinese) would like to enforce their own version of international law,” he said, adding the military opposes intrusion into the 200-nautical mile EEZ of the Philippines.
Rear Admiral Trinidad said the vessel was monitored heading northeast, towards mainland China.
As to the purpose of the vessel, he said, “I don’t want to speculate. At any rate, its (presence) is illegal, intrusion into our exclusive economic zone.”
“It’s part of their coercive actions, deceptive actions,” he added.
Meanwhile, the military reported an increase in the presence of Chinese vessels at several features in the West Philippine Sea.
There were 129 vessels monitored in these areas from June 18 to June 24, from 121 the previous week. The 129 were composed of 110 maritime militia vessels, 14 Coast Guard vessels and five Navy vessels.
Forty-four of the 129 vessels were monitored at Ayungin Shoal (34 maritime militia vessels, six Coast Guard vessels and four Navy ships), the military said.
There were 37 vessels were spotted at the vicinity of Pagasa Island (34 maritime militia vessels and three Coast Guard vessels).
The rest were seen spotted at Recto Bank (25 maritime militia vessels); Scarborough Shoal (15 maritime militia vessels, five Coast Guard vessels and a Navy ship); Lawak Island (one Coast Guard vessel); and Panata Island (one maritime militia vessel).
TALKS
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told a Senate hearing yesterday the Philippines has been “working hard” to get China back to the negotiating table to resolve the territorial dispute.
He said the Department of Foreign Affairs held a meeting with the National Maritime Council on Friday last week to talk about a meeting with their Chinese counterparts, which he hopes to be conducted “early July.”
“We have an existing mechanism with China; we call it the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on South China Sea. We had a working group meeting last week, in preparation for what we hope will be a meeting between the BCM,” Manalo said during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the latest Chinese aggression on Philippine troops at Ayungin Shoal on June 17.
He, however, admitted that bringing China back to the negotiating table is a big “challenge” but he added that the government will relentlessly pursue the peaceful resolution to the dispute in accordance with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
He said the DFA “initially” denounced the June 17 incident which led to injuries of Navy personnel.
“We certainly communicated to our counterparts, that it was really incomprehensible how the delivery of basic necessities to our troops on the BRP Sierra Madre could be considered a provocation that would justify an increased level of Chinese actions,” he said.
He said the China’s latest actions further escalated tension in the WPS that “certainly (was) something we should be concerned.”
Manalo said he hopes China adheres to the agreement between President Xi Jinping and President Marcos Jr that both government “should seek to manage our maritime differences and not let incidents define our bilateral relations.”
He said the Philippines is constantly been “in touch” with its international partners who share the same “basic position” of the importance to adhering to international laws in settling disputes.
“So, we will continue to pursue these efforts. And also let me just assure the (Senate) committee and the Filipino people that while we are seeking the approach for a peaceful resolution through international law and diplomacy, we are not blind to the incidents which are happening and we will ensure that whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will not be at the expense of the promotion of our sovereignty, sovereign rights, as well as our rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” Manalo said.
INTENTIONAL
Seaman 1st Class Underwater Operator Jefferey Facundo, who lost his right thumb in the June 17 incident, said China Coast Guard personnel on board a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) intentionally rammed their RHIB, contrary to what China said that it handled the matter in a professional manner.
Facundo told senators they arrived at Ayungin Shoal at around 6 a.m. to bring supplies and replace the Navy personal at BRP Sierra Madre when around eight China Coast Guard RHIBs with around 10 men arrived five minutes later.
“Without warning, they rammed our RHIB,” he said in Filipino, replying to Sen. Imee Marcos, committee chair.
Facundo said the CCG retreated but only to charge a second time. That time, he said, the CCG’s RHIB’s keel hit his right thumb. At that point, the other CCG personal started to pull out steel poles with sharp objects attached, and started to punch holes on their RHIBs.
Facundo said they have brought along firearms but were instructed by their superiors to use them only to fire warning shots when the Chinese fire their firearms.
“Hindi po matatawag na aksidente, intentional po ma’am yung pagbangga, pagbutas, at pagsira (We cannot consider it an accident, it was intentional — ramming, punching, and destroying our RHIBs),” he said, echoing a statement issued by government officials on Monday including Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Last Friday, National Maritime Council chair Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the June 17 incident was “a misunderstanding and an accident.”
VETERANS
The Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) expressed its “unequivocal support” for the leadership of Marcos Jr in asserting its the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the WPS.
Retired Maj. Gen. Romeo Alamillo, VFP president and chief executive officer, said his group stands in solidarity with the defense department “in their crucial role of securing our country’s domains and fostering a safe and stable environment conducive to national prosperity and the well-being of the Filipino people.”
“We wholeheartedly support the defense and military’s strategic transformation agenda to build a formidable deterrent posture through the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept,” said Alamillo in a statement of support and solidarity.
Alamillo said “our hearts beat as one with our soldiers, airmen, marines and coastguardsmen who call every inch of the archipelago home.”
“We condemn the barbaric, demeaning and provocative acts of the Chinese Coast Guard, who used force to thwart the rotation and resupply mission last June 17 and enjoin the international community to do the same in the name of humanity, respect for international law and the rules-based international order,” he added.
Alamillo commended the Filipino troops who figured in the incident, called them as “modern-day heroes, the defenders of the WPS.”
PRAYER CAMPAIGN
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan is undertaking a seven-week prayer campaign from June 27 to August 15 amid China’s continued aggression.
In a pastoral letter, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said a prayer campaign has been proven effective as seen during the historic EDSA People Power Revolution.
“Even the EDSA People Power of 1986 was preceded by the Marian Year of 1985, when we prayed and fasted and lived in solidarity with the poor… Let us do it again!” he said.
He also asked the faithful to fast and do penance. — With Raymond Africa and Gerard Naval
