US security expert says 19 Chinese vessels also remain at Ayungin Shoal
At least 21 Chinese maritime militia ships have been spotted heading toward Pag-asa Island while some 19 Chinese militia ships remained at Ayungin Shoal, a US maritime security expert said over the weekend.
Former US Air Force official Ray Powell said the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Cabra found itself in the middle of a redeployment of the Chinese vessels traveling to Pag-asa Island on Friday.
“These 21 ships were among those swarming at Mischief Reef (Ayungin Shoal) during the Philippines’ blockaded August 5 resupply,” Powell said on Twitter.
Powell was referring to the Aug. 5 incident where Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels fired water cannons against Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
“Any CCG ships still in the area have remained [automatic identification system]-dark, as have any PLA [Peoples’ Liberation Army] Navy ships (always dark),” he said in a series of tweets.
Powell said three CCG vessels that took part in the blockade have returned to Hainan Island, while “three others remained AIS-dark and are unaccounted for.”
The blockade and illegal use of water cannons prompted the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest against China.
Coast Guard ‘hotline’ terminated
As this developed, the PCG’s “hotline” to its Chinese counterpart is now defunct after the Philippines decided not to renew the mechanism.
“We’re no longer using the PCG-CCG hotline…It no longer exists. It hasn’t provided so much benefits for us. We didn’t gain anything from this,” said PCG West Philippine Sea spokesperson Jay Tarriela.
“The memorandum of understanding between CCG and PCG was no longer renewed when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went to Beijing last January. This is one of the MOUs proposed by the Chinese Embassy but this time it was not renewed,” Tarriela added.
The MOU was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 in Beijing.
“I would say that for all maritime incidents that happened in the past six years, even in the past administration, this hotline was attempted to be used. Unfortunately, it never really gave a positive result to give us a chance to talk,” he said.
Only the Department of Foreign Affairs’ “hotline” with Beijing exists, but China “could not be reached for several hours” when the mechanism was used after the Aug. 5 water cannon incident.
Social media warriors to combat WPS fake news
Tarriela also called on Filipino social media users to be active in sharing correct information on the WPS issue, and to counter false information spreading online.
“That is why I am urging every Filipino, if possible, I am calling out [to] all Filipinos who use Facebook, use social media, that if you see fake news on your feed, at least care to comment, share the right information,” he said.
“This is the only way that we can counter these fake news peddlers. Let us not allow this to proliferate. Otherwise, in our fight for the West Philippine Sea, we will lose,” Tarriela added.
Tarriela said if disinformation is not countered, the false narratives that serve China’s interests will be successfully disseminated.
“Not countering the spread of lies online risks allowing propaganda operatives and pretend experts in the country to successfully disseminate false narratives that serve only PRC interests. If need be, expose these ‘fake news’ purveyors so the public may know,” he said.
“Regardless of your politics – whether you support President Marcos, the Dutertes, or Leni Robredo, the fight in the West Philippine Sea is a fight of every Filipino,” he added.
Survey: 70% of Pinoys want peaceful means
A majority of about 70 percent of adult Filipinos want the administration to assert the country’s territorial rights in the WPS through diplomacy and other peaceful methods, results of a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.
Based on the Tugon ng Masa nationwide survey conducted from July 22 to July 26, Visayas had the highest percentage of Filipinos (84 percent) who believe that defending the country’s territorial rights in the WPS through peaceful means should be prioritized.
It was followed by Mindanao (70 percent) while the National Capital Region and Balance Luzon were statistically tied at 64 percent and 67 percent, respectively.
At least 65 percent of the respondents said military action, defined for survey respondents as expanded naval patrols and troop presence in the West Philippine Sea, is the best means to assert the country’s sovereignty.
At least 61 percent also want to modernize and strengthen the Philippine military’s capability first to protect the country’s territories.
About 41 percent said the government must expand diplomatic efforts with countries within and outside the region to reduce tension in the WPS, while 40 percent want joint maritime patrol and exercises with ally countries.
Only 19 percent were open to shelving the disputes for a joint economic development of the area.