BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday expressed hope that the first multilateral maritime activity held by the Philippines, the United States, Japan, and Australia would put an end to China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as he added the Philippines continues efforts to ease the tension in the disputed area, including sustained communications with China.
“I sincerely hope so. I really do. I really do, but again, we are trying everything,” the President said when asked if he expected the multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) held Sunday would prevent a repeat of incidents of Chinese aggression in the area.
In an interview in Bacolod City, he said the Philippines continues to do what it can.
“Lahat ng maaari nating gawin, ginagawa natin para makausap ang Chinese leadership, ang Beijing, makausap sila na ‘wag na natin masyadong papainitin pa at mag-uusap tayo nang mabuti para walang banggaan, walang cannon, walang water cannon (We’re doing everything we can to talk to the Chinese leadership, and tell them not to heighten the tension and let’s just talk well so we can avoid collisions, no cannons, no water cannons),” he added.
During the MCA, two Chinese Navy ships were sighted several nautical miles from the five participating warships of the four countries which are fighting for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Chinese ships did not interfere with the first MMCA, said Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.
“While they were doing the exercise, we noticed the presence of two PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy ships in the distance,” Brawner said in an ambush interview at the AFP general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.
Brawner said the said the Chinese ships were monitored some six nautical miles away from the exercise area, which he said was off the coast of Busuanga in Palawan.
“But these (Chinese) Navy ships did not do anything, (did not) block or prevent the exercises that we were doing. They (exercises) continued and our (multilateral) maritime cooperative activity was successful,” he said.
As to the intention of the Chinese ships, Brawner said, “We don’t know their intention but the fact is they were there.”
Brawner said the Chinese ships did not make radio challenge against the ships involved in the MCA. “They were six nautical miles away. They were far. They did not did not come near,” he said
“Our exercise was successful. We were able to achieve all the objectives that we have set forth, including the anti-submarine warfare exercise that we conducted,” he added.
The Philippines has held separate bilateral MCAs with the US and Australia. Sunday’s exercise was the first by the four countries.
China’s coast guards and maritime militias have repeatedly been blocking Philippine supply missions for the soldiers stationed at the Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre that has been grounded moored at the Ayungin Shoal. China, on claims of defending its territory, has caused collisions and used water cannons on Philippine vessels, which has resulted in damage and injuries on the Philippine side.
The Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but China is claiming almost the entire South China Sea based on their 10-dashline theory.
The President said reports he received showed multilateral MCA went well and would be very useful in enhancing interoperability among the allied countries.
“The interim reports that I am getting is that, it is very useful talaga in terms of the interoperability so that each Navy knows how the other Navy operates, number one, and secondly that they learn how to operate together,” he said.
Marcos also said the multilateral exercises have also long been planned, as he shrugged off reports that China had launched a “combat patrol” at the same time the Sunday naval exercises were being held.
He said it is the “usual” action taken by the China’s People Liberation Army, “so, it’s almost normal already for us, unfortunately.”
Brawner, on China’s reported “joint naval and air combat patrols” last Sunday, said, “Based on our monitoring of the area, no such thing took place. We are saying that while we are conducting our own exercise in the West Philippine Sea, we only monitored the presence of two PLA Navy ships and they did not conduct combat patrol or exercise.”
Brawner said the military does not consider the Chinese presence as alarming, adding the Chinese usually monitor Philippine military activities in the WPS.
“It’s not alarming because we expected this already… We have been expecting this but we made sure that our activity will be successful. There were no injuries (inflicted), there were no aggressive actions that occurred,” said Brawner.
Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the two Chinese Navy ships that were monitored had bow numbers 792 and 162.
“I can confirm that two PLAN Navy vessels were sighted during the exercise… According to reports, they did not interfere with the activity. They were probably, I can only surmise, observing from a distance,” he said in a briefing.
“The exercise went on smoothly, there was no interference. (There is) nothing much to report, except that the exercise that they conducted was successful,” he added.
‘SALAKNIB’ EXERCISE
Filipino and American troops yesterday launched an exercise meant to enhance the interoperability, the Philippine Army said.
The exercise, dubbed “Salaknib,” formally opened at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and will end on April 21, said Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala.
The exercise involves 1,800 personnel from the Philippine Army and 1,700 personnel from the US Army Pacific.
Dema-ala said the exercise will be held at Fort Magsaysay and other training venues in Central Luzon and northern Luzon.
Another Salaknib exercise is due to be conducted by the two militaries in the third quarter of this year, said Dema-ala.
The Salaknib exercise started weeks before the opening of the Philippine-US “Balikatan,” a huge-scale exercise which will formally start on April 22.
Dema-ala said Salaknib exercise is “geared at strengthening the interoperability of Filipino and American ground forces in a spectrum of military operations.”
MUM STILL
Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday kept her silence on China’s continued bullying in the WPS even after being called out by the Akbayan party-list group for it.
“No comment. I think comprehensive na ‘yung statement ni (Davao City) Congressman Paolo (I think Congressman Paolo Duterte’s statement is already comprehensive),” she told reporters.
The Vice President was referring to her brother Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte who earlier slammed Akbayan and other critics of his sister for questioning her “silence” on China’s aggression in the WPS.
The Vice President’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte is a known staunch ally of Beijing.
Akbayan president Rafaela David has challenged the Vice President to speak up against China, saying she should “show some courage” and “defend” the country’s sovereignty instead of being too busy defending alleged rapist Kingdom of Jesus Christ pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
David said “the Filipino people need real leaders, not traitors” and that the Vice President’s “deafening silence” only “speaks volumes about her priorities.”
The statement was issued late last month after the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) again water cannoned a Philippine resupply mission boat to Ayungin Shoal. Rep. Duterte then came to her sister’s defense, saying the question on the actions of Chinese vessels in the WPS “should be directed to the chief architect of foreign policy, the secretary of National Defense and the secretary of Foreign Affairs.”
Paolo said “it is not the job of the Vice President or the Secretary of the Department of Education to demonize China or any country for that matter.”
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is in favor of “multilateral programs” that will assist the country on freedom of navigation in the WPS. He also said the recent MCA does not mean that the Philippines wants to go to war, but shows that like-minded allied nations believe in freedom of navigation.
Sen. Francis Tolentino said that multilateral MCA is not something “to brag about” since it is the duty of nations to cooperate to maintain peace and security, and good order in the oceans in adherence to the UNCLOS.
He said the naval drill sends a strong signal that like-minded countries are committed to having strong cooperation and diplomatic ties, and also serves as a strong deterrence against China’s bullying in the WPS. — With Wendell Vigilia and Raymond Africa
