THE Philippine Navy yesterday said it does not recognize the four-month fishing ban being imposed by China in the contested South China Sea.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, described the announcement of the fishing ban, which covers areas within the Philippine maritime zones, as “provocative.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has lodged a diplomatic protest over the China’s annual fishing ban which is if effect this year from from May 1 to September 16.
“The Philippine Navy does not recognize this provocative statement nor will we be deterred in performing our mandate of securing the welfare of Filipino wherever he or she is – on land or on sea,” said Trinidad.
Asked if the Navy will send additional ships to secure Filipino fishermen who might get scared by China’s fishing ban, Trinidad said, “Overall, patrols have been increased in the entire WPS (West Philippine Sea), to include BDM (Bajo de Masinloc), and our northern islands.”
He said increased patrols were being conducted even prior to the fishing ban.
The ban came ahead of June 15 implementation of new Chinese Coast Guard regulations that calls for the detention of foreigners intruding into areas being claimed by China.
Meanwhile, data provided by the Navy showed a decrease in the number of Chinese vessels at features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
It showed 122 Chinese Coast Guard, Chinese Navy and Chinese maritime military vessels monitored in these areas from May 21 to 27, down from 153 the previous week.
The Navy said 102 of these 122 vessels were Chinese maritime militia vessels, 15 were Coast Guard vessels and five were Chinese Navy ships.
At Scarborough Shoal, there were 14 Chinese maritime militia vessels and five Chinese Coast Guard vessels spotted.
China gained control of the shoal, about 124 nautical miles from mainland Zambales, in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels. Since then, the Chinese have prevented Filipino fishermen from going inside the shoal’s lagoon.
At the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island, there were 34 Chinese maritime vessels, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel and a Chinese Navy ship seen in the area.
Thirty Chinese maritime militia vessels, four Chinese Navy ships and two Chinese Coast Guard vessels are at the vicinity of Sabina Shoal, an unoccupied feature where military-chartered boats and Philippine Coast Guard vessels rendezvous during resupply missions to the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal.
There were 17 Chinese maritime militia vessels seen at Ayungin Shoal during the past week, along with five Chinese Coast Guard vessels, the Philippine Navy said.
Chinese vessels were also monitored at four other Philippine-occupied features from May 21 to 27 — Patag Island (two Chinese Coast Guard vessels and two Chinese maritime vessels), Panata Island (three Chinese maritime militia vessels), Lawak Island (one Chinese maritime militia vessel), and Kota Island (one Chinese maritime militia vessel).
‘NO NEW MODEL’
Meanwhile, former AFP Western Command (Wescom) chief Vice. Adm. Alberto Carlos said he did not betray the country amid reports he entered into a supposed “new model” with a Chinese diplomat to manage the tension in the WPS.
“I have not compromised the country’s territorial integrity. I have not given up our sovereign rights and entitlement,” Carlos told an exclusive interview with the state-run PTV-4.
Carlos said he went on “wellness break” early this month, after two years of leading Wescom which is leading military operations in the WPS.
Carlos said his leave was just incidental to his controversial conversation with a Chinese defense and armed forces attache, one Colonel Lee, last January when he supposed discussed the new model arrangement.
Carlos reiterated he had the phone conversation but declined to discuss the details, saying this is subject to Senate investigation. Nevertheless, he said they did not discuss the new model arrangement.
Carlos said he did not enter into any “long-term agreement,” noting he is not authorized to do that. “So definitely non-existent as far I am concerned,” he said.
Senate President Francis Escudero, meanwhile, said an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs can be the best spokesperson for the WPS as issues in the disputed waters are still of civilian concern.
On Monday, Escudero suggested a single government spokesperson for the WPS issues to prevent confusion.
“At times, our uniformed officials like the chief of staff, Navy do the talking, when we are not in a state of war. Are we the ones who want this to level up to war? Our secretary of national defense does not engage in a debate or exchanges in statements his counterpart from another country…The issues are still civilian in nature which involves diplomacy and we want to maintain it that way. We would not want to elevate it to the level of war),” Escudero said in Filipino in an interview with radio dyPM. — With Raymond Africa
