Teodoro: China a squatter in WPS  

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro yesterday accused China of being a “squatter” in the West Philippine Sea, citing Chinese presence within the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Illegal occupation is on their end. If the Philippines occupied Hainan Island, that would be an illegal occupation. But they’re the ones within our 200-mile EEZ. They’re the squatters. They’re illegal occupants here,” Teodoro said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum.

The defense secretary was responding to accusations made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning earlier this week that the Philippines illegally occupied Pag-asa Island.

“I don’t want to laugh (at the accusation) because it would be disrespectful. Maybe we should ask what they meant. They might say they have indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea. But how many would believe that?” Teodoro added.

Pag-asa Island is 174 miles west of Palawan and is home to a small Filipino civilian community.

It is among the islands and reefs within the South China Sea that China claims to be part of its territory despite the 2016 arbitration case the Philippines won before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

The Chinese government has been defending how its naval forces have been hounding the island, with Chinese ships harassing Philippine vessels on multiple occasions.

Asked about the most recent attempt of a Chinese ship to cut off a Philippine navy vessel near Pag-asa Island, Teodoro said he could no longer say it was “an isolated incident.”

“On my end, President Marcos’ instructions are whatever happens… we will never stop with our operations in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

“They could apply for a visa. The (Bureau of Immigration) would surely give them one. I’m clueless as to why they won’t apply,” the secretary said in jest.

2 new airplanes

Aside from its recent acquisition of 40 patrol boats, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be procuring two 19-seater airplanes to intensify maritime domain awareness over the West Philippine Sea and in search and rescue (SAR) missions.

“These two new airplanes would also complement our water patrol operations in the WPS,” PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said Wednesday.

The PCG had already approved the procurement of the two airplanes, and soon will undergo a bidding to determine from which supplier or company they would buy their new air assets.

It is allocating P1.6 billion for the acquisition of the planes.

They are expediting the procurement process and intend to award the contract before the end of the year. “Hopefully, the two planes would be delivered in two years,” Balilo said.

The PCG currently only has two airplanes, an Islander and a Cessna.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard official also said that of the 40 units of 15-meter patrol presently being constructed at a shipyard in Cebu, three have so far been completed and delivered to the PCG.

“The construction of these patrol boats would be quick. Maybe by the third quarter of next year all 40 boats would already be complete,” he said.

Balilo said the boats will be deployed to their sub-stations, including those in the WPS area, to boost their capability in law enforcement activities and SAR activities. “These boats move fast and could easily be maneuvered.”

Currently, their sub-stations in the WPS only have 5-meter aluminum boats at their disposal.

“Some of these new boats would be assigned to augment the capabilities of our stations in the West Philippine Sea such as Pag-asa Island, Lawak Island, Likas Island and Panatag Shoal and in areas where we have installed navigational buoys,” he said.

The PCG had so far placed a total of 10 navigational buoys, one each at Likas Island, Lawak Island, Parola Island, Patag Island, Balagtas Reef, Kota Island, Panata Island and Juan Felipe Reef and two near Pag-asa Island.

US airs Concern

The sharp increase in operational behavior of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the East and South China Seas represents a significant concern, a United States defense official said.

“The PLA’s coercive and risky behavior, like the kind the department is highlighting today, seeks to intimidate and coerce members of the international community into giving up their rights under international law,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner.

Since 2021, he said there were more than 180 incidents involving PLA fighter jets engaging in such behavior, “more in the past two years than in the decade before that.” - Evelyn Macairan, Pia Lee-Brago