Government urged to call out China 'warning' vs Filipino ships in Ayungin Shoal
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should call out China after an incident at Ayungin Shoal, where Chinese vessels shadowed Philippine boats on their way to resupply BRP Sierra Madre, a landing ship grounded there, a maritime law expert said.
An analyst also said that how Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his officials will respond to the recently reported incident at the Ayungin Shoal will be indicative of the "critical engagement stance" the administration wishes to pursue.
According to an Inquirer report published on Monday, two Chinese ships followed the two Filipino supply boats while on a resupply mission for BRP Sierra Madre. This would be the first foreign relations issue and the first West Philippine Sea incident the new administration will face.
"The Philippines should respond clearly and unequivocally that in accordance with the South China Sea Arbitration, Ayungin Shoal is part of the Philippines' 200-nautical mile EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and continental shelf, and that China has no lawful claim to the area nor legitimate jurisdiction over any activities therein," Jay Batongbacal, director at the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, told Philstar.com over a text message on Monday.
Batongbacal had been critical of the Duterte administration's handling of the dispute over the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines, despite a 2016 ruling saying China's sweeping claim over the waters has no basis in international law.
When the Philippine military was conducting a troop rotation and reprovision mission for its personnel aboard the BRP Sierra Madre on June 21, the Chinese Coast Guard reportedly warned them that there will be "consequences" should the Philippines start any "trouble."
The Inquirer reported that the Chinese ship with Bow No. 5304 transmitted over radio: "To Warship No. 57, we hope that you should seriously consider the solemn stand of the Chinese government."
"If you insist on making trouble [in] your own way, you will take responsibility for all these consequences arising therefore."
Batongbacal said the Philippines should remind the Chinese government that their actions are "illegal and illegitimate."
"And the fact that the ship they call 'Warship No. 57,' is a rusted, immobile ship on a reef flat speaks volumes about who is actually making trouble in the area," he said.
Despite the incident, the Philippine military said its Team Wesom, through its Joint Task Force West, was able to conduct troop rotation and provide provisions for personnel aboard the BRP Sierra Madre. The mission was conducted from June 20 to June 22.
READ: Xi: China, Philippines to continue being friendly neighbors
Define 'critically engaged'
Meanwhile, WR Numero Research CEO Robin Michael Garcia said that this would be an opportunity for the new Marcos administration to demonstrate how the country will deal with China moving forward.
Garcia is also an assistant professor at the Political Economy Program of the School of Law and Governance of the University of Asia & the Pacific and taught public policy and international relations at De La Salle University and at UP Diliman.
He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Politics and International Relations from Fudan University in Shanghai.
"I think the incident would be a test of this 'critical engagement stance' of President Marcos so that would be an opportunity for [him] to shape what 'critical engagement' means, to operationalize what 'critical engagement' means," Garcia said over the phone.
Last month, National Security Advisor Clarita Carlos said in a televised interview that "critical engagement with China would be the way to go."
Carlos added that the new president wanted it to be "enhanced on all levels."
"That is a broad statement — it’s always an issue of how much engagement and how much critical or how critical the administration would be," Garcia said.
"They weren’t really clear about whether they’d engage China in economics or critical security and what the extent of that being critical would be in this administration."
Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. in an earlier interview also said that he will use the 2016 arbitral ruling to assert the country's territorial rights over the disputed waters.
READ: 'We can't go to war with China': Marcos echoes Duterte on West Philippine Sea
Not the first
This is not the first time the Chinese coast guard trailed Philippine ships this year.
Earlier in June and just days before the incident, the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest “over recent incidents” at the Ayungin Shoal. The Department of Foreign Affairs cited Beijing’s illegal fishing activities as well as the shadowing of CCG vessels of Philippine boats on rotation and reprovision mission as basis for the protest.
Chinese ships also previously installed buoys and fish nets, which then blocked entrance to the shoal.
READ: Philippines files diplomatic protest vs China for Ayungin Shoal incidents
In April, a Chinese coast guard ship also shadowed a research vessel that was then being operated by Manila's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. — Kaycee Valmonte with reports from Michael Punongbayan and Patricia Lourdes Viray
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