China to PH: Don’t provoke, cause trouble
BY VICTOR REYES and ASHZEL HACHERO
A SECURITY official yesterday dismissed China’s accusation that the Philippines was causing trouble when it removed a floating barrier the Chinese installed at Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.
Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council, said removing the barrier which prevented Filipinos from fishing in the shoal is well within the right of Philippines.
“They (Chinese) said we are stirring up trouble. Our reaction is we are not… We are well within our rights to remove any barrier in Bajo de Masinloc because the barrier infringes on our maritime rights,” said Malaya, also spokesman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, in a press conference in Beijing, said, “China firmly upholds the sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of the Huangyan island (Scarborough Shoal). We advise the Philippines not to provoke or stir up trouble.”
Earlier, Wang said the area it calls Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory and, as such, it has “indisputable sovereignty over the island and its adjacent waters and sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters.”
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which announced on Monday night the removal the floating barrier, said government plans to regain control of the shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, in the West Philippine Sea.
China gained control of the shoal after a standoff with Philippine government vessels in 2012. The China Coast Guard has since stationed several vessels in the area and prevented Filipino fishermen from going inside the shoal.
Meanwhile, Japan slammed China’ aggressive moves in the area, including the installation of the 300-meter floating barrier, saying such actions only increase tension in the area.
In a statement Monday night, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said Japan is “closely monitoring” China’s activities in the South China Sea (SCS) “with concern”.
“Issues surrounding the South China Sea are directly connected to regional peace and stability, and are a legitimate concern of the international community, including Japan,” the embassy said, adding that Japan “strongly opposes” any actions that increase tensions in the South China Sea.
FISHERMEN’S WELFARE
Malaya said the Philippine government’s decision to remove the barrier was also for Filipino fishermen.
“It is an exercise of sovereignty and it’s in accordance with law… As I said, this is for our fishermen and the Philippines just took the appropriate course of action on this problem,” said Malaya.
Malaya said the Chinese removed the barrier after they learned it was cut by Philippine Coast Guard personnel. He surmised the Chinese will not install another barrier.
“Hopefully, the situation will not worsen. We hope China will understand that we are doing this to protect the right of our fishermen,” said Malaya.
“There may be future reactions by China and we will just address those as they come,” he added.
Malaya said the Philippine government cannot control how China will react.
“But we (Philippine government) can control how we can react,” he said adding the Philippine government has been replying to China’s statements in a “very professional manner, just like what we always do.”
He assured Filipinos that the government is “pursuing all possible avenues to protect the national interest because at the end of the day, that is what is most important – the national interest of the Philippines.”
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, did not give details on what he said was the Marcos administration’s plan to regain control of Scarborough.
“Since the new administration took office, we have already strategized how can we be able to take control once again of Bajo de Masinloc, specially the lagoon in Bajo de Masinloc,” he said.
Tarriela said the PCG has calibrated its deployment to the shoal over the past months.
He said they were able to anchor about 300 meters from the shoal last week. Over the past years, he said, they could not come close to the shoal within a distance of eight to 10 nautical miles.
PATROLS
Tarriela said the PCG, with the support of the Armed Forces and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), is going to sustain patrols in the area “with the end goal of once again allowing the Filipino fishermen to be able to go inside the lagoon.”
He said the government wants to open to lagoon not just for Filipino fishermen.
“It was already decided by the arbitral award that it’s not just for Filipinos but this is a traditional fishing ground for Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipinos. So we are going to abide by the decision of the international ruling and that’s our end goal,” said Tarriela.
Last week, a BFAR vessel, manned by PCG and BFAR personnel, found a 300-meter floating barrier during patrol and distribution of relief goods and fuel to Filipino fishermen in the area. The vessel was also subjected to dangerous maneuvers and shadowing by the Chinese during the mission.
They did not remove the barrier but took pictures and videos so higher authorities can see them.
DISCRETE OPERATION
Tarriela on Monday night announced the removal of the barrier. He said National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, also NTF-WPS chairman, ordered the PCG “to execute a special operation” to remove the barrier “in compliance with the instruction of the President.”
Yesterday, Tarriela said the instruction to the PCG was to conduct the operation in a “very discrete” manner.
“It should be an operation that is not obvious that the Philippine Coast Guard will be conducting such operation. So it’s a special operation in a way that our Coast Guard personnel… have to pretend that they are just ordinary fishermen,” he said.
“They have to use an ordinary motor banca, not to rely on the Coast Guard rubber boats, for them to get close to the barrier,” said Tarriela.
Tarriela said there were Chinese Coast Guard vessels at the area during the operation “but since this operation was executed discretely, maybe they just thought that it (boat used by PCG personnel) was ordinary fishing banca.”
Tarriela said a PCG member cut the rope of the floating barrier from an anchor, subsequently clearing the entrance to the shoal. The mission was video recorded and part of it was released by the PCG to the media.
“We also removed the anchor from the sea… We took the anchor with us,” he said.
Tarriela said last week was the first time the PCG was able to monitor that the Chinese were using floating barrier to prevent Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal. But he said Filipino fishermen have earlier reported that the Chinese have done this in the past, whenever they see a large number of Filipino fishing boats near the shoal.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar defended the removal of the floating barrier.
“It’s just right to remove it because that (shoal) is ours,” he said.
Asked if they have monitored any adverse reaction from the Chinese, including increase of vessels deployed at the shoal, after the removal of the floating barrier, Aguilar said, “We don’t care whatever will be their reaction. What is ours is ours.”
On whether the removal of the floating barrier will cause further tension in the West Philippine Sea, Aguilar said: “We are just asserting our right. We should not be afraid.”
‘DECISIVE ACTION’
De La Salle University international studies professor Renato de Castro described as a “decisive action” on the part of the Marcos administration the removal of the floating barrier.
De Castro said the previous Duterte administration has adopted a policy of “appeasement.”
“We kneeled, expecting China would show mercy and consideration to us. But of course, we never experienced that. That’s why at the latter part of the term of former President Duterte, he was already resisting.”
De Castro said the Chinese might send additional ships and install steel barriers at the shoal in response to the removal of the floating barrier.
“I don’t think our President will allow it. There might be another standoff similar to what happened (in 2012),” he said.
De Castro said the Chinese may also make it more difficult for the military to resupply its troops at Ayungin Shoal. The Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal are staying at the rusting BRP Sierra Madre which has been grounded at the shoal in 1999 to serve as military outpost.
Asked what the government should do, De Castro said it should show determination and political will. “Expect for the worst, let’s hope for the best,” he added.
ANOTHER CASE
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said the government should publicly signal that it is now considering bringing a case against China due to the latter’s recurring aggressive and dangerous actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Earlier, former Solicitor General and retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza also called for bringing China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) over its installation of a 300-meter floating barrier on Scarborough Shoal to prevent the entry of Filipino fishermen to the traditional fishing ground.
Hilbay said continuing Chinese aggressive actions in the WPS, such as last month’s blocking of a Philippine resupply mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal and the installation of floating barriers on Scarborough Shoal should be more than enough for the Philippines to “publicly signal that it is now considering the initiation of legal proceedings against China.”
“Beyond this call, it should now in fact perform the preparatory works related to such possible litigation. The credibility of our intent to bring China to court depends, in part, on our ability to act when necessary and at the proper time,” Hilbay said. — With Raymond Africa and Reuters
