A MILITARY commander supervising operations in the West Philippine Sea has taken a leave of absence amid controversy about a supposed “new model” arrangement with China concerning the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal.
Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos turned over his post as commander of the Puerto Princesa City-based AFP Western Command (Wescom) to Rear Adm. Alfonso Torres Jr yesterday when his leave took effect.
Carlos took over as Wescom commander in January 2022 and is due to reach the retirement age of 57 on December 31 this year.
Torres will be leading Wescom in an acting and concurrent capacity as commander of the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command in Zambales.
“He filed for leave. (It has) no connection with the new model,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said of the new model agreement disclosed by the Chinese Embassy, which Philippine security officials said is non-existent.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said no official of the Marcos administration entered into any agreement with China regarding the Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal.
“The DFA wishes to emphasize that only the President of the Republic of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea,” the DFA said in a statement, the second such statement it issued after the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed that the Wescom made an agreement with Beijing early this year on a so-called “new model” for managing the situation at Ayungin.
The embassy said the arrangement was approved by the Department of National Defense.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has issued a denial. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año also denied the existence of such an arrangement.
The new model was first by disclosed by the Chinese embassy about three weeks ago. The information resurfaced over a week ago, prompting the denials from Teodoro and Año.
The new model, the Chinese embassy said, led to “smooth” delivery of supplies to troops at Ayungin Shoal last February 2. It asked why Philippine officials abandoned the new model when it was proven effective.
Two succeeding resupply missions at the shoal, both in March, were harassed by the Chinese, causing injuries to seven Navy personnel and damage to Philippine Coast Guard and military-chartered supply boats.
Last Saturday, the Chinese Embassy said Teodoro and Año were among key Philippine government officials who approved the new model. The two denied approving the agreement, which they stressed is non-existent.
The Chinese Embassy also claimed Wescom made “repeated confirmation” on the existence of the new model. Yesterday, the Armed Forces denied the claim of the Chinese embassy.
PERSONAL REASONS
Padilla said Wescom never agreed to the alleged new model.
“The AFP denies the claim made by the Embassy of China in Manila that AFP Western Command has agreed to a new model for conduct in the Ayungin Shoal,” she said.
“The AFP is a professional organization that operates within the
framework of the Philippine government and in accordance with national
policies,” she also said.
Padilla said any agreement or arrangement needs the “involvement and approval” of concerned government agencies and officials, including Teodoro and Año.
Padilla could not immediately say until when Carlos will be on leave.
Asked what was the personal reason cited by Carlos in applying for the leave, she said:
“I’m not in a position to reveal it.”
“Let’s leave it at that. He applied (for leave) for personal reasons. Let’s respect his decision to file (a leave). It’s an inherent of every individual to go on leave, for whatever reasons,” said Padilla.
She said the new model issue was merely “co-incidental” with Carlos’ decision to go on leave.
“It’s not related, their timing is just co-incidental,” she said.
“As to the timing, its co-incidental. It’s the prerogative of an individual when he wants to file for a leave,” she said Padilla.
‘ZOMBIE’ STORIES
The military yesterday likened the supposed new model arrangement to zombie stories as it joined other officials in saying no such agreement exists.
“I call them zombie stories: Long dead but revived from the grave,” said Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“(The) best approach is to put these stories where they rightfully belong – in the grave, never to be heard again,” he added, referring to the new model which was reportedly meant to avoid conflict in the area.
Teodoro has called the story as “devious machination” and called for a stop of the Chinese “charade.” Año described it as “absolutely absurd, ludicrous and preposterous.”
Yesterday, Trinidad said, “These stories are all fabricated, products of the imagination of the Chinese Communist Party to divert attention from their violations of international law, to cause divisiveness among us Filipinos and to provide a smokescreen as they advance their agenda in the West Philippine Sea and the entire South China Sea,” he said.
Asked if the military has spoken to Carlos about China’s claim that Wescom made repeated confirmation of the new model, Trinidad said, “Not necessary.”
He noted Teodoro’s statement denying the existence of such arrangement.
NO DEAL
The DFA reiterated there is no truth to the Chinese claim.
“In this respect, the DFA can confirm that no Cabinet-level official of the Marcos administration has agreed to any Chinese proposal pertaining to the Ayungin Shoal,” it said.
The DFA further maintained that as far as the Philippine government is concerned, “no such document, record or deal exists, as purported by the Chinese Embassy.”
The DFA earlier said Manila has not entered and will not enter into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, including Ayungin shoal.
It added such arrangements or agreements would only be made if authorized at the highest level of government.
Ayungin Shoal is located 106.3 nautical miles from Palawan, well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
On the other hand, it is 423.30 nautical miles from the Paracels, and 617.39 nautical miles from the Chinese mainland, clearly beyond the 200-nautical mile maximum maritime entitlement for an EEZ under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Both Manila and Beijing are signatories to the UNCLOS.
FEWER CHINESE VESSELS
The Armed Forces yesterday reported a decrease in the number of Chinese maritime vessels at Scarborough Shoal and at Philippine-occupied features in the WPS.
“Compared to last week’s number, there is slight decrease in the number of China maritime militia vessels. From 110 last April 29, we have only 88,” Padilla said in a press briefing.
Data provided by the Philippine Navy showed the 88 Chinese maritime vessels were monitored in these areas from April 30 to May 6, down from 110 during the previous week.
The Navy said 16 of these 88 militia vessels were sighted at the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal, also known at Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, about 124 nautical miles from Zambales.
China gained control of the shoal after a standoff with Philippine vessels in 2012. The Chinese prevented Filipino fishermen from going inside the shoal’s lagoon since then.
Thirty-five Chinese militia vessels were monitored at Pag-asa Island, the largest among the nine features occupied by Filipinos troops in West Philippine Sea.
Also, 30 militia vessel were monitored at Ayungin Shoal where the Chinese have harassed Philippine resupply missions for its troops in the past months.
Six militia vessels were seen at Panata Island and one at Kota Island.
As to the reason for the decline, Padilla said, there could be “several reasons.”
“We cannot speculate on their activity thus, we cannot pinpoint the exact cause,” she said.
The military also said there were 10 Chinese Coast Guard vessels monitored in these areas from April 30 to May 6 — three each at Scarborough Shoal and Ayungin Shoal and one each at Pag-asa Island, Kota Island, Lawak Island and Patag Island.
It was down from 11 during the previous week.
Likewise, the military said there were four Chinese Navy vessels monitored — two each at Scarborough Shoal and Pag-asa Island – from April 30 to May 6. There were only three Chinese vessels the previous week — two at Ayungin Shoal and one at Pag-asa Island.
The Navy said two Chinese rigid hull inflatable boats were also monitored at Scarborough Shoal in the past week.
On the reported sighting of four Chinese ships at the Sibutu Passage several days ago, Padilla said these ships were merely on “innocent passage.”
“We are able to monitor their movement. The Navy confirmed that this is an innocent passage considering that they just passed through,” said Padilla.
This usually happens in the high seas and even in these areas. As long as there is nothing concerning in their activities, then it is actually considered as innocent passage,” added Padilla.
MARITIME STRIKE EXERCISE
American, Filipino and Australian troops are due to hold maritime strike exercises off today in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, one of the major training events under the ongoing “Balikatan” exercise.
Padilla said several platforms from the three sides will be used to “simultaneously sense and shoot a decommissioned ship.”
The target, replenishment tanker BRP Lake Caliraya, was decommissioned by the Navy in December 2020 or six years after acquiring it from the Philippine National Oil Company.
The ship was built by a Chinese shipbuilder in 2007 for the PNOC.
Padilla said the exercise will start at 8 a.m. with Philippine Navy vessels and a fast attack boat firing C-Star and Spike missiles at the target.
She said F-16 fighters from the US Air Force and FA-50 fighters from the Philippine Air Force will later drop bombs at the target at 9:30 a.m., “using target data provided by US, AFP and ADF (Australian Defense Force) aircraft, and all coordinates from a combined fusion center.”
Padilla said a long-range heavy bomber B-52 aircraft and AC-130 gunship will later fire at the vessel.
At 10:30 a.m., land-based howitzers from the US and Philippines “will also fire but will not target the vessel, Padilla said.
“We will be firing at the vessel but not necessarily sink it,” Padilla said.
Padilla reiterated that Balikatan exercise is not aimed a particular country.
On using a China-made ship as the target, Padilla said it is purely “coincidental.”
Padilla said the vessel was chosen as the target because it was already decommissioned and it was available as an exercise target.
The maritime strike will take place two days after a successful counter-landing exercise in the city. Troops from both sides repelled invading forces during the training.
The maritime strike will be the last major activity under Balikatan before its formal closing on Friday at Camp Aguinaldo. The exercise opened on April 22. It involved 11,000 troops from the US, 5,000 from the Philippine Armed Forces, 150 from the Australian side, and undetermined number of French troops.
Australia and France were invited to directly part in this year’s Balikatan, one of the many annual exercises between US and Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Fourteen countries observed the 39th iteration of Balikatan. — With Ashzel Hachero
