Scarborough standoff

MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine warship was engaged in a tense standoff with Chinese surveillance vessels, which prevented it from approaching eight Chinese fishing boats and arresting their crew at the Scarborough Shoal off Zambales yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing in an attempt to resolve the impasse diplomatically.

Del Rosario’s office said in a statement that Scarborough Shoal, or Panatag Shoal to Filipinos, “is an integral part of Philippine territory” and Philippine authorities would assert sovereignty over the offshore area.

“If the Philippines is challenged, we are prepared to secure our sovereignty,” Del Rosario told reporters.

The Chinese embassy accused the Philippine warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar of harassing the fishermen.

China is claiming the shoal, which is only 120 nautical miles from Zambales.

The Spratly Islands south of the shoal are also claimed by China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. The chain of barren islands, reefs and coral outcrops are believed to be rich in oil and gas and the overlapping claims have long been feared as Asia’s next flashpoint for armed conflict.

The standoff began Sunday when a Philippine navy surveillance plane sighted eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored in a lagoon at Scarborough, the DFA said. This prompted the navy to deploy the Gregorio del Pilar, which was recently acquired from the United States.

On Tuesday, Filipino sailors from the warship – commanded by Capt. Alberto Cruz – boarded the Chinese vessels for an inspection, discovering large amounts of illegally collected coral, giant clams and live sharks inside the first boat, the DFA said in a statement.

Two Chinese maritime surveillance ships, identified as Zhonggou Haijian 75 and Zhonggou Haijian 84, later approached and positioned themselves between the Philippine warship and the Chinese fishing vessels “thus preventing the arrests of the erring Chinese fishermen,” the DFA statement said.

It’s not clear if the Chinese ships were armed.

“The presence of the two Chinese surveillance ships has prevented the crewmembers of BRP Gregorio del Pilar from arresting the Chinese poachers whose fishing vessels are still inside the Panatag lagoon,” said Navy chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama.

“Currently the situation remains stable with no reports of provocative actions from any of the ships involved,” Pama said later in a statement.

Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, Northern Luzon (Nolcom) commander, said a coast guard vessel has been deployed to assist the Gregorio del Pilar. He did not give details.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the situation at the shoal “has not changed as of this morning. There’s a standoff.”

The Chinese embassy said 12 fishing boats had taken shelter from a storm in a lagoon.

“Two Chinese marine surveillance ships are in this area fulfilling the duties of safeguarding Chinese maritime rights and interests,” it said in a statement.

It said the shoal, which it called Huangyan, “is an integral part of the Chinese territory and the waters around it the traditional fishing area for Chinese fishermen.”

The Philippine navy was sending additional vessels toward the shoal, which lies about 200 kilometers from the nearest Philippine coast, a navy official who requested anonymity said.

Last year, the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of intruding into other parts of what it considers Philippine territory in the South China Sea. China has regularly dismissed the protests, saying Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over those areas on historical grounds.

The US has insisted it takes no sides in the territorial dispute but says it should be solved peacefully. China has balked at what it considered US interference in the region.

The disputes over the Spratlys have settled into an uneasy standoff since the last major clash involving China and Vietnam killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.

Aside from being coveted for its fossil fuels, the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea to the Chinese) is home to vast fishing grounds as well as hosting shipping lanes that are vital for global trade.

The Philippines and Vietnam complained last year of increasingly aggressive acts by China in staking its claim to Southeast Asian waters.

The Philippines accused Chinese vessels of firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen, as well as harassing an oil exploration vessel and placing markers on islets within Philippine territory.

Philippine concerns about China’s perceived aggressiveness prompted it to seek help from the US in building up its poorly equipped military and weak maritime defense capabilities.

The US responded favorably, delivering the Gregorio del Pilar, a 378-foot decommissioned US coast guard cutter, to replace a World War II-era vessel as the Philippine Navy’s biggest and newest ship.

The US has promised the Philippines more military aid, and a second vessel – also a former coast guard cutter – is due to arrive next month. The Philippines is also eyeing F-16 fighter jets from the US.

Faced with China’s formidable military, the Philippines and Vietnam have forged closer ties. Aside from military accords, the two countries have agreed to set up a hotline between their coast guards and maritime police to monitor maritime incidents, such as piracy and incursions into their territorial waters.

The Philippine navy announced Tuesday that Philippine and Vietnamese would play football and basketball matches in the islands they occupy in the Spratlys as a novel way to build trust in the contested region. –With AP