Navy says ‘interference’ increasing
THE Armed Forces yesterday said it has monitored an increase in jamming incidents involving electronic and communication signals of Philippine Navy ships and land-based facilities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said they cannot directly point at China as the culprit, adding that “anybody” can be behind the interference incidents.
“I would need the appropriate Navy office or GHQ (general headquarters) office to say that (who is behind the interference activities) after we do all the forensics,” Trinidad said, but quickly added: “Your guess would be good as mine.”
Citing information from Naval Forces Western commander Commodore Alan Javier, Trinidad said the jamming of the signals of the Navy’s electronic and communication equipment and land-based WPS facilities “has been going on for the past three to four years, maybe even earlier.
“They have noted an increase in cyber interference, electronic interference, jamming, and stuff like that not only for equipment of the ship but also for land-based communication equipment,” he said.
He said the jamming of signals “usually happens or is noted during preparation stages for RORE (rotation and resupply) missions. There have been observed activities to interfere with our internal equipment.”
He added these were obviously “deliberate attempts” to prevent military personnel from communicating with each other, whether on ship or land.
Chinese vessels in the past months have been harassing Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, one of the nine features occupied by Philippine troops in the West Philippine Sea.
Trinidad said the interference incidents had minimal effect on the Navy’s operations, noting that these did not reach the stage where the operations of their navigational equipment were jammed.
Trinidad assured the public that the military has protocols “to ensure our transmissions are secured.”
“There are protocols on how to address that so rest assured that we have been addressing these issues (electronic and communication interference). But we have noted them for the past good number of years,” he said.
CHINESE VESSELS
Trinidad said they have monitored the presence of 36 Chinese vessels in the vicinity of four of the nine Philippine-held areas in the West Philippine Sea as of Monday.
At Ayungin Shoal, Trinidad said three Chinese Coast Guard vessels and four fishing vessels were spotted, while there was a Chinese Navy vessel, a Coast Guard vessel and 16 fishing boats near Pag-asa Island.
There were also two and nine Chinese fishing boats in the vicinity of Parola and Panata Islands, respectively.
Trinidad said there was no monitored Chinese presence near the other Philippine-held features, namely Likas, Lawak, Kota and Patag Islands and Rizal Reef.
On February 13, Trinidad reported there were 14 Chinese Navy, Coast Guard, and fishing boats near Ayungin Shoal, and Pagasa, Panata, Kota and Parola Islands.
Trinidad said there were four Chinese Coast Guard ships and 10 to 17 fishing boats in the area of the Scarborough Shoal, which China gained control in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine government vessels.
FLOATING BARRIERS
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said there is no need to remove the floating barriers recently monitored to have been installed by the Chinese at the mouth of the Scarborough Shoal.
Tarriela said the Chinese install such floating barriers when they see PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels approaching the area.
“We also noted the fact that a few hours after our vessels leave, they remove these floating barriers,” he said.
“So, I don’t think there is necessity for us to remove these because they voluntarily remove them once we leave,” he added.
In September last year, the PCG, on orders of President Marcos Jr., launched a “special operation” to remove floating barriers put up by China at the shoal.
