‘Show of good faith, sincerity a must in talks with China’

- Advertisement -

DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr is wary of holding talks with China to resolve the dispute in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea, noting the duplicity of the Chinese.

In a radio interview, Teodoro said President Marcos Jr and even former President Duterte have talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping about maintaining peace in the contested area.

“President Duterte talked to them at the latter part of his administration. (After that) they harassed our fishermen,” he said in mixed Filipino and English during a radio interview.

- Advertisement -

“President Marcos visited China… After that, there was a laser-pointing incident that happened,” said Teodoro.

Marcos was in China last January. The following month, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel pointed a military-grade laser light at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel near the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal, causing temporary blindness of the crewmen of the PCG vessel that was escorting a civilian boat contracted by the Armed Forces to bring supplies and fresh troops to Ayungin Shoal.

On whether Marcos and Xi should talk again, Teodoro said, “They should talk but before they talk, there should be a platform of the talks first. Second, China should show good faith and sincerity.”

At the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” public briefing, Teodoro said, “We are not against diplomatic talks but these should be open, transparent and have a foundation.”

Teodoro said China is talking to the Philippines just to show to the world that it is for peace.

“Let us wake up, behind the smile of China is its fangs,” said Teodoro.

On whether the meeting of Marcos and Duterte with Xi had no effect on the territorial dispute, Teodoro said, “I need not answer that. You can see the evidence, what’s happening (on the ground).”

Teodoro was referring to numerous incidents of Chinese harassment in the West Philippine Sea, including the Chinese-initiated collisions near Ayungin Shoal just last Sunday.

Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels made dangerous maneuvers against two PCG vessels and two military-contracted boats delivering supplies to Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal.

One of the wooden supply boats, Unaiza Mae 2, and PCG vessel BRP Cabra were hit in the process by a China Coast Guard vessel and a China militia vessel, respectively, during the maneuvers, causing damage on the Philippine vessels.

Teodoro said the two sides should talk but they should show that they are “respecting us as people, as a nation, and as Philippines.”

TERRITORIAL DEFENSE

Teodoro also said Chinese harassment in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is part of China’s plan to control the entire South China Sea.

“Itong lahat na ito, yung swarming, yung illegal activities nila doon, yung pagharang, plano nito ng China talaga na sakupin ang buong South China Sea, na ating dapat tutulan (All these – swarming, the illegal activities, blocking [of resupply missions], are part of China’s plan to conquer the entire South China Sea, which we should oppose,” he said.

“It’s clear, we are not at war with China, we are just protecting what is ours under the international law,” he said, adding it is against the norms of international law if China will control the entire South China Sea.

Teodoro said he doubts China would occupy Philippine-held features in the WPS.

“I think they will think twice. Number one, the world knows what they (Chinese) are doing and majority (of countries) are against what they are doing,” he said.

- Advertisement -spot_img

“If they have common sense… they are not going to do that,” he said, noting that China is trying to convince the world that it is for peace.

Teodoro said the Philippines merely wants the Chinese to leave the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

He disputed anew China’s narrative that Philippines is illegally occupying features in the West Philippine Sea.

“Who is believing that? That is why the government, under the President, is taking this (last Sunday’s incident) seriously because this is an affront to our territorial integrity,” said Teodoro.

3-PART RESPONSE

Teodoro said the government is adopting a three-front response to last Sunday’s incident, namely diplomatic, legal, and defense and military. He said the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice are studying charges that may be lodged against China.

“There’s a diplomatic part. As of now, there are discussions on the code of conduct in Beijing I think and we’re expecting that our representative will deliver the position of the Republic of the Philippines based on the illegal activities of China,” he said.

On the part of the Department of National Defense, Teodoro said it is working to step up “sovereignty operations” in the WPS in collaboration with allied countries.

Asked if last Sunday’s incident will hasten the planned joint patrols with US and other countries in the West Philippine Sea, he said: “This will not hasten  (the conduct of joint patrols) because this was planned long ago… but this could lead to more willing nations to join our fight.”

Teodoro urged Filipino people unite and stand up against China’s aggressions.

He said a group of Filipino-Chinese met with him on Tuesday to express opposition to China’s “expansionist agenda.”

“They are Filipinos and they feel just as aggrieved as us with this egregious acts of China,” he said.

He did not identify the group which he said is going to issue a formal statement soon.

INSULT

Teodoro dismissed China’s narrative that “this is all a play of the United States and we are just marionettes or puppets of the Americans.”

“This (China narrative) is insulting to Filipinos and it assumes that we have no ability to think for ourselves and to stand up for our own rights and I think this is really looking down on us and that really disgusts me. So I am appealing to our countrymen to stand up against the insults of China,” he said.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr, during a forum in Manila, stressed the military has the right to repair the rusting BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Navy ship where troops at Ayungin Shoal are staying, “because that is a commissioned Navy ship.”

“For me, China has no right to tell us not to repair that while they themselves have created these artificial islands,” he said in a forum in Manila, referring to land reclamations done by China at its occupied reefs several years ago.

“We did not interfere, we did not say don’t do that. We didn’t say don’t bring in missile systems to these artificial islands,” Brawner said.

Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday night said “it may be the right time” for the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines to be sent back to Beijing and replaced with someone “who would prioritize adherence to international law.”

Villanueva said the continued Chinese aggression “is deplorable, unacceptable, and deserves nothing but condemnation” as it is an escalated form of harassment on Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone. — With Raymond Africa

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: