China bully or not? Panelo will ask Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Is China a bully?

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo could not give a categorical answer yesterday when asked if he agreed with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s assertion that China’s takeover of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal was “bullying.”

But Panelo said he agreed with Lorenzana with respect to bullying by the Chinese Coast Guard of Filipino fishermen.

“With respect to the Scarborough Shoal, I agree with (National Security Adviser) Secretary (Hermogenes) Esperon (Jr.) that we were outfoxed there,” the spokesman said at a press briefing.

Pressed for word on his position on the Panatag incident, Panelo said he would ask the President first.

“My position will be the position of the President. I will ask him on this particular instance. We do not know yet. If you ask me, it will just be my personal (take),” Panelo said. 

“But with regard to the position of the President, I don’t know if I will share that story,” he added. Panelo did not elaborate, saying the President may just be joking. 

“I will ask him again if I can share it. I mentioned it to him when we were talking the other night... ‘Tell this if you are asked about it.’ But I will ask him if I can really say it,” he added.

Lorenzana previously said China’s statement that it would “not take the first shot” did not match its actions in the West Philippine Sea.

China has repeatedly voiced its supposed commitment to maintaining peace in the region but has built military facilities in disputed areas.

“The way they took over Scarborough Shoal, to me, that is bullying,” Lorenzana said in an earlier interview.

Panatag Shoal is a traditional fishing ground off Zambales that has been under China’s control since 2012. The takeover started after Chinese ships barred the Philippine Navy from arresting Chinese poachers in the area.

Esperon earlier said China had “outfoxed” the Philippines during the Panatag Shoal standoff.

“If he (Lorenzana) was referring to Scarborough Shoal, then the description of Secretary Esperon about being outfoxed is correct... We believed that the other side will pull out (its ships) and now, it has control,” Panelo said.

Critics have accused Duterte of being too soft on China but the President insisted that an aggressive stance could lead to a war and massacre of Filipino soldiers.

True to the President’s wish that the country avoid enflaming the situation, Esperon said security forces deployed in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) have not accosted, much less boarded, Chinese maritime militia vessels swarming the island town of Pag-asa.

“We are not boarding these Chinese fishing vessels for practical reasons to avoid an incident that could result in a show of force with the Philippines ending up losing Pag-asa island altogether,” Esperon said in an interview with dzBB radio.

He recalled the Panatag incident ended with the Chinese eventually taking control of the land feature off Zambales.

“We pulled out but China did not. On that day, we lost Panatag until now,” Esperon said.

100-plus Chinese ships

The Western Command (Wescom) monitored last Feb. 23 Chinese fishing vessels near Sandy Cay. The number increased to around 100 in July with the arrival of eight cargo ships.

Recent monitoring showed only three Chinese ships remaining in the area but Esperon said most of the Chinese ships could have moved to Zamora (Subi) Reef.

He said the administration is addressing concerns step-by-step.

China, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has been making provocative moves in the South China Sea.

Esperon also said he does not believe China’s claim that its military installations in the region are for defensive purposes.

“They can always shift their military from defensive to offensive because they are now in position. Their fishing vessels out there if at all are manned by 10 personnel each ship, they can easily muster around 1,000 men,” Esperon said. 

After assisting in relief operations in Batanes, two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels will patrol the waters around the quake-hit province “to protect the sovereignty of the Philippines” and to “implement law enforcement activities,” PCG spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said.

The deployment of BRP Malabrigo and BRP Capones came after President Duterte ordered the PCG to intensify its patrol operations in the country’s northern waters. The President earlier made an aerial inspection of Batanes in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes that killed nine people in the tiny island province. – With Jaime Laude, Robertzon Ramirez