Gazmin on rising sea row tensions: Anything can happen

MANILA, Philippines - Anything can happen.

This was Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin’s response when asked whether he is worried that Chinese ships would also sink Philippine fishing vessels the way it did to a Vietnamese boat last month.

The defense chief, however, said the government has measures in the event that the tension in disputed waters escalates.

“Anything can happen but we are preparing contingency for this,” Gazmin said in a press conference yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo.

“Our Coast Guard is accompanying our fishermen up to a certain point so they won’t be harassed,” he added.

Gazmin said the Philippine Coast Guard does not escort local fishermen in areas where Chinese ships are deployed.

“We have to keep them (fishermen) away from danger,” he said.

Last month, Vietnam claimed that China rammed and sank one of its fishing boats, adding more tensions to the already troubled relationship between the two countries.

The sunken ship was reportedly encircled by 40 Chinese vessels before being rammed.

The 10 crew members of the ship were rescued by other Vietnamese vessels shortly after the incident, which happened about 12 nautical miles southwest of a oil rig placed by China in disputed waters.

Vietnam has demanded that China stop “inhuman acts” that infringe on the interests of its fishermen.

China, however, claimed that the Vietnamese fishing boat had intruded into the oil rig and sank after colliding with a Chinese fishing boat. It also accused the Vietnamese vessel of disturbing “the normal work” of the oil rig.

Tensions between the two countries simmered early this month after Chinese ships reportedly rammed and fired water cannons at Vietnamese vessels in contested waters. Vietnamese officials said the incident had damaged many of its vessels and had left six of their sailors wounded.

China, however, claimed that the oil rig’s operations should not be disrupted because it is located in Chinese territory.

There have been no violent incidents involving Philippine fishing boats and Chinese shops so far.

However, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel used water cannons to drive away Filipino fishermen in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, an area located 124 nautical miles from the nearest point in Zambales.

The Philippines asked China to explain the incident, which happened last January 27. China, however insisted that it has sovereignty over the shoal even if it is located within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

China claims almost 90 percent of the potentially oil and gas-rich West Philippine Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

Earlier, the Philippines and Vietnam issued a joint statement opposing China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea and bared plans to form a “strategic partnership.”

No delays

Meanwhile, Gazmin is optimistic that the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will not be delayed despite the court petitions questioning its legality.

“Perhaps it (EDCA) won’t be delayed because the Supreme Court is set to come up with a decision,” the defense chief said.

“Right now, it is still in the planning stage,” he added.

Last April, the Philippines and the United States (US) signed the EDCA in a move widely regarded as an attempt to counter China’s aggressive acts in the region.

The EDCA allows American troops to build temporary facilities and store equipment in mutually agreed Philippine areas.

Two petitions challenging the constitutionality of EDCA have been filed before the Supreme Court by groups who claim that the deal violates the Philippines’ sovereignty. – with reports from Venice Amoroso and A. Bajo