NTF-WPS insists China intended no harm
The government’s position that the harassment of Filipino soldiers by China Coast Guard and militia personnel was simply a misunderstanding and not an armed attack drew a mixed reaction, with the Liberal Party saying it was “worrisome” while maritime and security experts upheld the “calm” response.
“The statement of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that the incident was possibly just a misunderstanding or an accident is worrisome. It is very clear in the videos and pictures released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines that the CCG behaved aggressively. It is very clear the lives of our soldiers were endangered, considering that they were involved in a humanitarian and resupply mission,” the Liberal Party said in a statement.
“Striking a delicate balance between defending or fighting for our sovereignty and avoiding an escalation of tensions cannot translate to downplaying what are clearly illegal, aggressive and even barbaric acts of the CCG. We must vigorously assert our sovereign rights and demand justice for the harassment and injuries inflicted upon our troops,” it added.
On Saturday, the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea echoed Bersamin’s statement, saying it was not China’s intention to harm the Philippine Navy personnel.
“There is no reason for us to interpret this as an armed attack because China’s intention here is just to prevent the resupply from being successful,” said NTF-WPS spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela.
Tarriela did not offer how he came to that conclusion or whether he has spoken with Chinese officials to verify their intention during the June 17 incident.
“This is not an armed attack or a provocation for us to say that China really wants to escalate tension here. Basically, it’s just a blockade,” he added.
Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, for his part, said the incident “does not warrant engagement in self-defense.”
“It is not easy for the Philippines to just simply react to every incident as if it is an act of war and warrants full scale hostilities. It is now in that context that we should view developments over the past week. particularly statements issued by the government Friday night. In other words, remain calm,” Batongbacal said.
Analyst Chester Cabalza, president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, added: “If we allow our Armed Forces to do the same thing just like what the China Coast Guard has been doing to us persistently, what is the difference of CCG then to our forces? We are playing a different game right now where we are using legal approaches and widening our diplomatic networks to show to the world that we are far more civilized.”
Tarriela said the resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre grounded in Ayungin Shoal will continue even as the country will not seek yet support from foreign actors.
“These operations are legitimate and ordinary, and right now we don’t see any reason to request support from foreign actors for our routine resupply mission,” he said.
Earlier, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. also described the incident as an act of “piracy.”
CCG personnel boarded the Philippine Navy’s rigid-hulled inflatable boats, “took guns and other equipment, destroyed our equipment onboard, including the motors,” Brawner said.
“We are demanding that the Chinese return our rifles and our equipment and we are also demanding from them to pay for the damages that they have caused. For me this is piracy,” the military chief said.
Vietnam, which is also a claimant to parts of the South China Sea, expressed deep concern over the June 17 incident.
Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pham Thu Hang called on both sides to “exercise maximum restraint, behave in line with international law, respect sovereign rights and jurisdiction over coastal countries’ exclusive economic zones and continental shelves as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
“[They] should handle disputes and differences by peaceful measures, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region,” Pham said.