The Philippines will not agree to de-escalate the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on China’s terms, according to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.
China insisted however, that it would defend its position on the South China Sea despite the agreement on the resupply operations for the BRP Sierra Madre troops.
“We will not ask permission from them,” Año said in an interview shortly after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Año dismissed Beijing’s remarks that the Philippines has to seek permission to conduct resupply missions for the troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre on the Ayungin Shoal.
“That’s not true,” Año stressed.China’s foreign ministry issued the statement following the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea held July 2 in Manila.
Año clarified that the primary objective of the country’s recent interaction with China through the BCM is to de-escalate tension in the WPS.
“It was an understanding to defuse the situation at the Ayungin Shoal so that nobody would get hurt and we can resupply for the troops at the BRP Sierra Madre without giving up our national interest and protect out sovereign rights (over the contested territories),” Año clarified.
He said the Philippines and China can always review the situation in the WPS.
“It’s an understanding. There is no commitment. It was not an agreement,” he stressed.
Año noted that the BCM would only push for peaceful resolutions of disputes over the WPS, “but not necessarily yield the country’s sovereignty.”
Año also said the National Security Council fully supported President Marcos’ stand regarding the de-escalation issue in WPS.
“We fully support the President’s statement. And I think the President simply wanted to make clear in his SONA his administration’s unwavering position in the West Philippine Sea. That no amount of aggression or coercion will change his administration’s position on the matter. The WPS is our seas, we exercise sovereign rights over it, and it is our patrimony from present and future generations,” Año said.
Beijing reaffirmed its stance on the WPS “based on the principled position of China on dealing with the current situation at Ren’ai Jiao.”
“This is an active effort China made to keep the situation under control. The Chinese side will continue to firmly defend China’s sovereignty and rights and interests,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
“We take note that the Philippine side said it’s ready to implement the arrangement it reached with China. We hope the Philippines will keep its word. We call on the Philippines to not to backpedal, not to create problems, and not to do anything that would complicate the situation,” she added.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) denounced China’s statement on required “prior notification and on-site confirmation” as part of the arrangement, inaccurate.
DFA stressed that the arrangement concluded a “clear understanding by both sides that it will not prejudice its respective national positions.”
“For the Philippines, this means that we will continue to assert our rights and jurisdiction in our maritime zones as entitled under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the SEA), including in Ayungin Shoal which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf,” the DFA said.
“Nonetheless, in our desire to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and to manage differences in a peaceful manner, we emphasize that the agreement was done in good faith and the Philippines remains ready to implement it. We urge China to do the same,” it added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Philippines does not need China’s permission in Ayungin Shoal – Año”
