Navy, PCG mission is to lower tensions — Marcos
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Philippines would not use water cannons to deal with nations with conflicting claims in the South China Sea.
The President said the mission of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy is to ease tension in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea and water cannoning vessels, like what China has been doing to Philippine ships in the area, only escalates the tension.
“What we are doing is defending our sovereign rights and our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive — I would have to call them — weapons, because it is already causing damage,” Marcos said in mixed English and Filipino.
“We will not follow the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese vessels down that road because it simply — it is not the mission of our Navy, our Coast Guard to start or to increase tensions. Their mission is precisely the opposite, it’s to lower tensions,” he also said.
The China Coast Guard (CCG) has used water cannons on several occasions on Philippine vessels delivering supplies to troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy ship grounded at the Ayungin Shoal to serve as a military outpost, prompting suggestions to equip Philippine ships with water cannons and use these for defense.
The supply missions are being carried out by civilian ships chartered by the military, and escorted by vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) which have water cannons.
The President said the Philippines would stick to its current options like sending diplomatic protests to China whenever it attacks Philippine vessels, including through the use of water cannons.
Last week, the CCG used a “jet stream pressure” water cannon against the Philippine vessels at the Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.
In the past months, the President has said the country continues to do what it can to ease tension in the West Philippine Sea, including pursuing sustained communications with China.
The President has also said in an interview that the Philippines is not “poking the bear” and in fact trying to keep things manageable through communications. Last year, he also emphasized the country deployed vessels from the PCG instead of the Philippine Navy to patrol its borders to avoid raising tension in the West Philippine Sea.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said at a regular press briefing on Monday, “If the Philippines truly wants to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea, it should immediately stop sending ships … and stop sending supplies to illegally grounded ships.”
China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
An international tribunal in 2016 said China’s expansive claim had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
‘IGNORE CHINESE STATEMENTS’
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), urged media to “ignore” statements from the Chinese embassy in the Philippines on the WPS issue due to lies it has been peddling on the matter.
“It’s about time for our media friends to be careful in taking the statements of the Chinese embassy… We also have to evaluate. Do they (Chinese) have proof?” he said in a radio interview.
The Chinese embassy has issued statements about a gentleman’s agreement reached with the previous Duterte administration. The agreement, the existence of which has been denied by current Philippine officials, supposedly calls for a status quo at the Ayungin Shoal, which means the Philippines will not bring construction materials to the shoal, but deliver only food and water to Filipino troops in the area.
Recently, the embassy talked about a “new model” that it said would manage the situation at Ayungin Shoal.
Tarriela said, “They have no document to support their statements. These are just statements that were made up by the Chinese embassy.”
Tarriela said the Chinese embassy should not be given a platform to peddle “made-up stories.”
“To our friends in the media, I don’t want to (impose on you) what’s newsworthy or not. But in my point of view, if we know that what the Chinese embassy is saying are lies… these statements should not be entertained,” he also said.
Sen. Francis Escudero said President Marcos should order a review of all agreements the government has made with other countries for him to be able to “diplomatically decide and convey his decision and foreign policy direction.”
Escudero made the statement after the Chinese Embassy’s statements on the supposed gentleman’s agreement.
He said the President, being the chief architect of foreign policies, can either “reverse, amend, modify, or abrogate” any agreement whether they are verbal or non-verbal, existent or non-existent.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said those behind the so-called gentleman’s agreement should be made accountable.
She said if the Chinese Embassy were to be believed, former President Duterte was the one behind the alleged agreement. — With Victor Reyes and Raymond Africa
