BY VICTOR REYES and ASHZEL HACHERO
ARMED Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr yesterday called the China Coast Guard (CCG) a liar for saying a Philippine supply boat rammed a CCG vessel near Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea last Sunday.
“It’s funny that they are changing the true story because I was there,” said Brawner who was on board the supply boat Unaizah Mae 1 when the incident occurred.
“I witnessed their harassment,” Brawner told a television interview, referring to the dangerous maneuver the Chinese vessel made against the wooden supply boat.
Chinese vessels also subjected to harassment another supply boat, M/L Kalayaan, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Cabra and Sindangan, during the routine resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.
ML Kalayaan was disabled as it suffered severe engine damage, failing to complete its mission. BRP Sindangan was towed the boat back to Palawan. BRP Cabra was also damaged but still managed to bring Brawner, AFP Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, other military officials and the supplies to troops at the Ayungin Shoal.
The troops are stationed at the rusting Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre which the military grounded at the shoal in 1999 to serve as an outpost.
The Chinese Coast Guard earlier said Philippine vessels illegally entered the shoal which it said was part of China’s territory, without approval. It said Unaizah Mae 1 “made an unprofessional and dangerous sudden turn, intentionally ramming” the CCG vessel, adding the Philippine side was responsible for the mishap.
“I saw how they made dangerous maneuvers. While we were heading towards Ayungin Shoal, they crossed our path a few times. Not contended, they water cannoned us and then finally they rammed us,” said Brawner in mixed Filipino and English.
“They are liars because they are trying to change (the true story). In fact, they are saying we rammed them, which is really impossible because our vessel is small and their vessel is so big so what they are saying is not true,” said Brawner.
Brawner reiterated the military will continue to resupply the troops at Ayungin Shoal.
“It is our responsibility, it is our obligation to provide supplies to our troops at BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal because that is a military post,” he said.
“In fact, that is one of our frontlines in the West Philippine Sea and we will never abandon it. As what the President Ferdinand `Bongbong’ Romualdez Jr said, we will not abandon Ayungin Shoal,” he said.
In an interview at Camp Aguinaldo, Brawner reiterated that it was impossible for Unaizah Mae 1 to ram the Chinese vessel.
“What they are saying is the opposite of the truth, that it was us that rammed them. That’s impossible. We will not do that because we are small,” he said referring to Unaizah Mae 1.
“If we will ram them, there is possibility Unaizah Mae will fall to pieces because it’s made of wood. What they (Chinese) are saying is impossible,” added Brawner.
ILLEGAL ACTIONS
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday told China to stop illegal actions and interference and instead comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
The DFA said these demands were firmly conveyed to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian when he was summoned on Monday to explained the moves of Chinese vessels against Filipino ships in Ayungin Shoal and Scarborough Shoal over the weekend.
“The Philippine government firmly asked China to immediately undertake the following actions: Direct its vessels to cease and desist from its illegal actions against Philippine vessels, and to stop interfering in legitimate Philippine Government activities, or lingering in waters around Ayungin Shoal and doing any action that violates the Philippine’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone, and to comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, the 2016 Award in the South China Sea Arbitration, and the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea,” the DFA said in a statement.
The DFA said Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who delivered the protest to Huang, also told the latter that Beijing should adhere to its commitments under the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
It said Lazaro also reiterated to Huang that Ayungin Shoal is not an island but a low-tide elevation within Manila’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, in accordance with UNCLOS and as upheld by the 2016 arbitral ruling.
“As such, the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the feature. As a low-tide elevation, Ayungin Shoal can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim nor is it capable of appropriation under international law,” the DFA added.
Lazaro, according to the DFA, also told Huang that the country’s resupply missions to Ayungin are “part of the regular operations of the Philippine government in line with domestic and international law.”
“China has no right to interfere with the Philippines’ legitimate activities in the Philippines’ own EEZ, including in the waters around Ayungin Shoal. The actions of the Chinese vessels within the Philippine EEZ are illegal and violate the freedom of navigation,” the DFA added.
Aside from Ayungin, the DFA also protested the “dangerous maneuvers” and use of water cannons against three Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels which were engaged in humanitarian and support mission to Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.
COUNTER PROTEST
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Huang lodged a counter-protest when he was summoned by the DFA over Manila’s “recent infringement and provocation in waters near Huangyan Dao and Ren’ai Jiao, its name for Ayungin and Scarborough shoals.
“Ambassador Huang stressed that Huangyan Dao and Ren’ai Jiao are China’s inherent territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters,” the embassy said.
It urged Manila to “stop its maritime infringement and provocations, meet Beijing halfway, return to the right track of properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Earlier, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Philippines over the recent incidents on Ayungin and said Manila’s refusal to tow away the grounded BRP Sierra Madre is the root cause of the problems in the area.
EDCA, OTHER ISSUES
Brawner and Gen. Charles Quinto Brown Jr, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke on the phone on Monday to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Brawner said they discussed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), joint maritime and air patrols, and exercises between the two armed forces.
“They (discussions) are in general only, the details will be discussed by our staff,” said Brawner.
As to the next joint maritime and air patrols, Brawner said: “We have to iron out all the details so that we will make sure that the joint sails will be successful and safe for everyone.”
The two armed forces held a three-day joint maritime and air patrols in the West Philippine Sea last month. Chinese Navy ships shadowed US and Philippine ships involved in the activity.
Brawner said he and Brown talked about last Sunday’s resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.
He said he detailed to Brown his personal experience during the resupply mission.
“To him, what happened is troubling, the harassment of China and they (US) are closely watching and in fact, they gave a statement of support not only to the Armed Forces of the Philippines but to the Philippines in general,” said Brawner.
Brawner said Brown committed to continue supporting future resupply missions through information gathering.
“They are not going to come close and provide escort but (they will support us) in terms of information, vital information that we need… They are doing this. It will continue. He said he is committed to continuing the support that he is giving us,” said Brawner.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said Brawner and Brown “agreed to maintain close coordination amidst worsening illegal activities of the China Coast Guard targeting rotation and reprovisioning missions and patrols of Philippine government vessels in the West Philippine Sea.”
Trinidad said the two military leaders also discussed “mutual strategic security interests and opportunities for increased military cooperation.”
“The call reaffirms the AFP’s commitment to the Philippine-United States alliance under the framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty and in upholding a rules-based international order and the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific Region,” said Trinidad.
CHINESE ENVOY
Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said calls to expel Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian due to the escalating Chinese aggressive activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) would be an extreme measure and should only be done if Beijing’s action against Manila escalates further in the coming days
“Huwag muna siguro. That’s very serious already. Kapag nag-escalate na (We should not do it yet. That’s very serious already. We should do it if they escalate),” Carpio told Radyo 630, adding that before expelling an ambassador, lower level officials should go first.
Carpio said the government should calibrate its response to Chinese action in the WPS.
He added that the government should instead recall Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz to express Manila’s disapproval of Beijing’s intimidation in the WPS.
“We have to calibrate it but we can go to that situation (expelling Huang) if the situation escalates. Pero sa ngayon, mag-umpisa muna sa recall. Iyong extreme measure saka na lang (But now, start with recall. Resort to extreme measure later),” he added.
CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Carpio also said the government should build civilian infrastructure such as a lighthouse or marine research center because Ayungin is part of our exclusive economic zone.”
He said only the country has the right to build such structures in the area under UNCLOS.
“Instead of sending military supplies, we will be sending later civilian supplies. We will convert the activity from military to civilian by putting up such structures because under UNCLOS, that area is part of our EEZ,” he said, explaining that resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin are considered as military in nature and therefore, outside the jurisdiction of UNCLOS.
Carpio said if China will stop Filipino vessels bringing in materials for the construction of such civilian structures, the government can go to the international tribunal using UNCLOS as the basis of its case.
To recall, the government of Benigno Aquino III also anchored its 2013 arbitration case against China on UNCLOS. Manila and Beijing are signatories to UNCLOS, though the latter refuses to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claim in the South China Sea.
TRUST LOST
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday said Xilian should immediately be sent back to Beijing because “he has diplomatically failed” to ease Chinese aggression on Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
“That’s why I asked the President… begged the President send the current Chinese ambassador home because he has failed diplomatically. You know in diplomacy, you have to keep lines open. You have to figure out a way to prevent this type of action from happening,” Zubiri said in an interview with ANC.
“And it seems that he’s been ineffective. In other words, he has been pushing for the more aggressive reaction of his country’s (Chinese) coast guard as well as his country’s militia, which in one misstep can be disastrous,” he added.
He also said a lot of the country’s politicians “don’t trust him anymore.”
He said sending home the Chinese ambassador will send a stronger message that the government does not like what is happening in the WPS.
Zubiri said President Marcos confided to him that the latter told Chinese President Xi Jinping that things could not have gone worse in the WPS if only China minded its own business. He said Marcos told him what he said to Xi on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco weeks back.
“We had dinner in his (Marcos’) house a couple of weeks ago… Tinanong ko po siya, ‘Anong binulong niyo po kay President Xi when you met him,’ because they had a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco. And he told me, ‘Migz, in no small terms, I just said, you know we wouldn’t be having this problem if you’ve just minded your own business, and we minded ours. We’re just doing resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, helping our fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc. And if you want to watch our coast guard ships, our white ships, as well as our fishing vessels of BFAR, fine, no problem, but don’t do any aggressive maneuvers like blocking them, ramming them’,” Zubiri said.
“He told that straight to President Xi. President Xi was just quiet, stoic and looking at him.
So, to be honest, if they only did that, kung ganyan po lang ang ginawa nila at sinabayan lang ang mga barko natin, hindi po tayo ginigitgit, hindi tayo wina-water cannon, wala tayo sigurong problema (if they only sailed side by side with our ships, they did not do dangerous maneuvers, they did not fire water cannon at us, then we would not problems there),” he said. — With Raymond Africa
