THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday vowed to “publicize” cases of Chinese harassment and incursion in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea.
“This new approach was approved by the National Task Force (for the) West Philippine Sea,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the PCG’s spokesman for the WPS, in a television interview.
President Marcos Jr. meanwhile, in a visit to the Visayas Command in Cebu, told the soldiers to always be ready as their missions have now changed because the Philippines is facing a “more complex foreign situation” brought about by developments in the South China Sea and the more complicated geopolitical situation caused by competing superpowers.
A security official, on the cases of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, said the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea has authorized the PCG to do all the talking about Chinese aggression in the WPS to “civilianize” the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
The source said the task force wants to spare the Armed Forces and the defense department, as much as possible, from exposing incidents of Chinese aggression so as not to escalate the conflict.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, established in March 2016, has as members the PCG, the Armed Forces, the defense and and foreign affairs departments, and other government agencies. It is chaired by the National Security Adviser.
Government officials in past administrations have reported incidents of harassment and incursion in the disputed area although not all incidents were made public.
This month, the PCG reported that on February 6, a China Coast Guard pointed a military-grade laser at a PCG vessel which was escorting a Navy resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal, causing temporary blindness of the crew members. It later said the incident was not the first time a Chinese vessel pointed a laser at a Philippine vessel. The first was in June last year.
Last week, the PCG reported that PCG aircraft spotted 30 Chinese maritime militia vessels are in the vicinity of Ayungin and at Sabina Shoal. The aircraft also monitored a China Coast Guard near Ayungin Shoal.
“From now on, with the guidance of the National Task Force West Philippine Sea, in the instances that there will be more incidents in the next coming days, the Philippine Coast Guard will still be publicizing it,” said Tarriela.
However, Tarriela said, the disclosure of these incidents will have to be approved by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, currently chaired by National Security Adviser Eduardo Año.
“If it is decided and the entire task force has made the decision to publicize it, that’s the time that the Philippine Coast Guard will release it to the public,” he said.
Tarriela said the task force believes it is its “obligation” to publicize these incidents to the public “would be made aware of it.”
“Secondly, we also note that every time that we publicize those incidents, that’s the time that the Chinese make reactions,” he said. “We believe, not just for the Philippine Coast Guard but the entire national task force, that every time we publicize all these incidents, we receive a reaction not just from from the Chinese embassy but from the Chinese government.”
Tarriela said the PCG will continue conducting patrols in the WPS despite the presence of larger Chinese ships, to assert the Philippine sovereignty in the area.
PCG spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said the decision to expose all cases of Chinese incursion and harassment in the WPS is a good move to stop Chinese bullying.
“At the same time, we we should be back-channeling (to resolve conflict), it should be both ways” Balilo, referring to exposing Chinese aggression and back-channeling talks.
MISSION CHANGED
The President, during his “Talk to the Troops” from the Visayas Command held in Lapu-Lapu City, thanked the soldiers for their dedication and commitment to keeping peace and in protecting the country’s borders.
He talked about the complex situation in the world brought about by the war in Ukraine started by Russia, and the situation in the South China Sea over which the Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have conflicting claims.
“Kaya’t sinasabi ko ‘yung mission ng AFP, ‘yung mission ninyo ay nagbago na. At kailangan natin bantayan nang mabuti ‘yung ating dating hindi kailangan masyadong isipin (that’s why I said the mission of the AFP, your mission has changed. We need to watch out intensively things that we do not usually think of in the past),” he said.
The President said the Philippines is now facing a more complex “foreign situation” including what he described as the “most difficult” and “most complicated problem.”
“Like what was said that in this part of the world, here in the Philippines, South China Sea, all of that add to the complicated geopolitical situation in the world. Even the war in Ukraine, here in the South China Sea, it is said to be the most difficult problem, and complicated problems,” he said in Filipino.
“There was a time where we did not have to worry about these threats and the intensification of the competition between the superpowers. For many, many years, we were able to maintain that peace and maintain that understanding with all of our neighbors. Now things have begun to change and we must adjust accordingly,” Marcos said.
UPDATED ARRANGEMENTS
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to negotiate for updated security arrangements with the country’s international partners to defend the Philippines from China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
She made the pitch after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, during an earlier security conference in Germany, said the harassment of Filipino fishermen and PCG personnel is a “daily situation we face” as he called on the United Nations to help in creating greater awareness on the importance of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and sustain a rules-based order in our seas.
Hontiveros said the government should exhaust all possible means to defend the Philippines from China’s “shameless actions.”
“A security arrangement can serve as a defensive framework that would provide for joint patrols and training for our troops so we are prepared to work as part of a team should tensions escalate… We cannot do nothing,” Hontiveros said.
She also said the country should not rely on the Mutual Defense Treaty with the US alone as there are similar agreements which the government can enter into with other countries that want to maintain peace and stability in the region.
“China will not stop until we surrender the WPS, so we must also show her that we will never stand down… Let us maximize the reinforcement of the international community and consolidate all this support once and for all,” Hontiveros said. — With Raymond Africa
