BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR AND VICTOR REYES
THE pullout of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua from the Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea is not tantamount to the country giving up its claim to the disputed area, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said yesterday.
NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez, in an ambush interview in Malacañang, reiterated the pullout of the PCG vessel was due to “humanitarian” reasons and is not a result of the Philippines’ recent Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM) meeting with China.
“Baka kasi akala ng ating mga kabayan ay bumigay tayo, when in fact hindi. Nagmatigas tayo (Our countrymen might be thinking we gave in when in fact we did not. We stood our ground) during the meeting in Beijing, and our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) stated that our presence would be maintained in the shoal. So, it’s not a withdrawal,” he said.
The PCG said it did not surrender Escoda Shoal to the Chinese with the pullout of Magbanua.
Commodore Jay Tarriela ,PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, reiterated that the PCG intends to maintain presence in the area which is just about 72 nautical miles from mainland Palawan.
“We did not surrender it… It’s wrong to say we surrendered it,” he said.
Beijing has demanded that the Philippines withdraw BRP Magbanua that it said was “illegally stranded” at the atoll which it claims.
The PCG vessel left Escoda Shoal last Saturday after a five-month deployment. Officials said a replacement was on the way to Escoda Shoal.
Magbanua was sent to Escoda Shoal after authorities discovered a pileup of crushed corals in the area, and an indication, they said, of China’s small-scale reclamation activities.
Chinese vessels rammed BRP Magbanua three times on August 31, damaging the PCG ship.
Lopez said Magbanua had to return to port to undergo repairs while some crew members needed medical attention, especially those who had been dehydrated due to the limited supply of food, medicine and even potable water after China made it difficult for the Philippines to deliver supplies to its troops.
Lopez reiterated his statements in several TV and radio interviews, adding that some of the crew members also need to undergo psychological tests apart from physical and medical checkup.
“Nilinaw natin, hindi tayo kumurap, hindi tayo nag-buckle down, hindi tayo naduwag.
Babalilk at babalik tayo, at pangangalagaan natin ang ating karapatan, ang ating claim and position (We want to make it clear, we did not blink, we did not buckle down, we were not scared away. We will keep returning to that, we will protect our rights, our claims and position),” he said.
Some netizens raised concerns in social media that the Philippines might have lost Escoda to China after the pullout of the BRP Magbanua, while some feared that the country is giving up its claims to the territory.
Lopez reiterated the Philippines is not giving a square inch of the country’s territory to other nations.
“Nasa atin ang batas (the law in on our side). We have the moral ascendancy. We have the moral high ground,” he said reiterating the Philippines’ claim is based on the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s claim to almost the entire South Sea based on its nine-dash line theory.
STRATEGIC PRESENCE
Lopez also reiterated that another vessel has been sent by the PCG to the Escoda vicinity to replace BRP Magbanua to ensure continued Philippine presence in the area.
He said President Marcos’ Jr. ‘s directive was also to “maintain our presence, strategic presence.”
He said maintaining strategic presence is not limited to sending one or two ships to either patrol or set anchor in the area but includes measures such as conducting aerial patrol; seeking “technical coverage” from allied nations such as the United States, Japan and Australia, and other operational details that he could not discuss further in public.
Lopez also urged the public to pray for the country and to continue rallying behind the government and the flag.
SOVERIGN RIGHTS
Tarriela assured the public the PCG will not abandon the country’s rights over the shoal, noting that it is well within the country’s 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone.
“We have sovereign rights over these waters. The Philippine Coast Guard, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will never abandon our sovereign rights over these waters.
We are still going to sustain our presence in these waters,” he said.
“As far as the Philippine Coast Guard is concerned, we have not lost anything… It is wrong to say we abandoned it or we lost a territory, Escoda Shoal,” added Tarriela.
Tarriela refused to say if another PCG vessel have been deployed or is about to be deployed to replace BRP Magbanua, saying these are operational details that should not be disclosed to the public.
On Sunday, Lopez said the replacement vessel was due to arrive that later that day.
Tarriela said China will not be able to block PCG vessel or vessels if they return to the vast area. He noted that the shoal is about 137 square kilometers in size, equivalent to the combined size of the cities of Manila, Malabon, Navotas and Caloocan.
“We can deploy vessels anytime we like. We can go there anytime we like. It won’t be difficult for us because there are different approaches for the Coast Guard vessels to enter Escoda Shoal,” he said.
BAD WEATHER
On Sunday, Tarriela cited several reasons why the PCG pulled out BRP Teresa Magbanua.
These are unfavorable weather condition, depleted supplies, evacuation of sick crew members, and structural damage sustained by the vessel on August 31.
Yesterday, Tarriela said bad weather condition was the primary reason Gavan ordered the withdrawal of the vessel from the shoal. He said Gavan consulted higher authorities before making the decision.
“The bad weather condition is really the primary factor that made the commandant decide to bring (back) Teresa Magbanua,” he said.
“It’s the very bad weather condition that compelled the commandant to recall Teresa Magbanua, and of course dwindling supplies and those personnel who need medical care,” he added.
He also noted the seaworthiness of the vessel as another factor but “the most compelling factor is obviously the bad weather condition.”
Tarriela said the bad weather condition also forced many Chinese vessels to also withdraw from the shoal.
“The Chinese forces were also subjected to that bad weather condition. It’s not just (BRP Teresa Magbanua) that left Escoda Shoal. We can document that even the Chinese have also left because of that very bad weather condition,” he said.
As of last Sunday, Tarriela said, there were only 11 Chinese militia vessels at the shoal.
“There were no Chinese Coast Guard vessels, there are no hospital ship, no PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy tugboats (in the area) as of yesterday (Sunday),” said Tarriela.
Tarriela did not say how many Chinese vessels withdrew from the shoal due to bad weather.
The Philippine Navy has said it has monitored 68 Chinese ships – 55 maritime militia vessels, eight Coast Guard vessels and five Navy ships – in the vicinity of the shoal from September 3 to September 9.
AIR DROP
Tarriela said the PCG had difficulty resupplying BRP Teresa Magbanua, with the use of vessels, starting August due to Chinese harassment.
He said this prompted them to resort to airdrop resupply last August 20. On why they did not do another airdrop resupply operation after that, Tarriela said such operation is subject to weather conditions.
Tarriela said the crew members had to eat rice porridge over the last three weeks due to lack of supplies.
“That is one of the reasons why three personnel experienced sudden weakness and even headaches. They are on dextrose right now… Eating rice porridge for three weeks obviously is not that nutritious,” said Tarriela.
He said the vessel’s desalination machine stopped producing potable water due to lack of filter, forcing the crew members to drink rainwater.
“When there is no rain, they even have to gather water from their air-conditioning units. Then they’re just going to boil it and that will be used for drinking,” said Tarriela.
BRP SIERRA MADRE
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr said it would be an “act of war” if China takes control of BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting Philippine Navy ship that serves as a military outpost at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
Interviewed by the American television news magazine 60 Minutes, Teodoro said he expects United States to intervene in the event China takes over the vessel.
The vessel remains grounded at the shoal, about 108 nautical miles from Rizal town in Palawan, despite repeated Chinese demands for the Philippine government to pull it out from the feature.
“If China were to take the (BRP) Sierra Madre, that is a clear act of war on a Philippine vessel. We will react and naturally we would expect it (US intervention),” Teodoro said.
The Philippines and US signed the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951. It requires both parties to aid each other in case in case of an armed attack on either party.
Asked how realistic the US would intervene over a rusty old ship, Teodoro said: “There are people in there and that is an outpost of Philippine sovereignty. So we’re talking about a piece of Philippine territory in there.”
On June 17, Chinese Coast Guard vessels harassed a Philippine military resupply mission very close to BRP Sierra Madre. The harassment caused severe injury to a Philippine Navy sailor.
The Chinese also destroyed some of the equipment of the Filipino troops during the incident. They also stole others, including firearms which Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr demanded returned.
MISSILE SYSTEM
Teodoro also said it not China’s business to meddle on use a Typhoon missile system during military exercises between US and Filipino troops.
China has demanded the withdrawal the missile system, saying it is threatening global security.
The missile system arrived in northern Luzon last April for the first phase of the Salaknib exercise between US and Filipino troops. It also figured in the large-scale “Balikatan” exercise held in April to June. It was again used in the ongoing second phase of Salaknib exercise, which is due to end this month.
“It’s not their business … we follow the international law, what’s the fuzz?” said Teodoro.
Told of the China’s remarks that the deployment of the weapon brought the risk of war to the region, Teodoro said, “That’s what they always say. Everything the world does that they don’t like is the fault of the world.”
Asked if the Philippines plans to acquire such a weapons system, Teodoro said, “I can neither confirm nor deny if there is such a plan.”
China has become aggressive in its claims over the South China Sea over the past years.
Teodoro, asked how he thinks the dispute will end, said, “I really don’t know the end state.
All I know is that we cannot let them (Chinese) get away with what they are doing.”
