The National Maritime Council (NMC) on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the ‘deliberate harassment and infringement’ by China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
During a Palace briefing, newly-minted NMC spokesperson Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez read out the council’s sentiments over the recent incident in the contested maritime region.
“On the early morning of 19 August 2024, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels rammed and damaged the two PCG vessels in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal,” the statement read.
“These unprofessional and dangerous actions of the CCG vessels were in violation of international law, including UNCLOS and the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs),” he added.
NMC called out China’s continued ignorance in following rules-based international order, citing Beijing’s illegal actions do not boost confidence-building measures in securing peace and stability in WPS.
NMC, however, vowed to adhere to President Ferdinand Marcos’ directive for a diplomatic approach to reaching a peaceful resolution of disputes.
“The Philippines will continue to uphold its rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea; sustain our routine maritime activities; and protect its territory and maritime zones from environmental degradation and other illegal activities,” the statement ended.
On August 19, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported a ramming incident involving Chinese Coast Guard vessels ramming two PCG vessels in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal.
President Marcos previously slammed China’s air force aggression in Bajo de Masinloc, calling the actions of the People’s Liberation Army – Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft as unjustified, illegal, and reckless.
In a statement on August 11, the President called out China to demonstrate responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies.
“We have hardly started to calm the waters, and it is already worrying that there could be instability in our airspace,” the President said.
“We strongly urge China to demonstrate that it is fully capable of responsible action, both in the seas and in the skies,” he added.
