MANILA, Philippines — China has again stirred unprovoked tension in the West Philippine Sea with its “shadowing on the movement” of a Philippine Navy ship on patrol recently near Panatag Shoal, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said yesterday.
“Chinese vessels, as usual, conducted shadowing on the movement of PS39,” Año said referring to BRP Conrado Yap by its hull number.
“China is again over-hyping this incident and creating unnecessary tensions between our two nations,” he said.
Año maintained that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will “not be deterred by the aggressive and illegal activities” of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the China Coast Guard and its Maritime Militia.
He stressed that under international law, the Philippines has the right to patrol the length and breadth of its territorial waters, which include Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, also called Bajo de Masinloc.
“PS39 conducted routine patrol operations in the general vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc without any untoward incident. It did not illegally enter any space under Chinese sovereignty because Bajo de Masinloc is part of the Philippine archipelago and EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” he said.
He called on China to act “responsibly,” as well as to abide by the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 ruling of an international arbitral court invalidating China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, and “stop its aggressive and illegal actions in Philippine waters.”
Citing what he described as strong guidance from President Marcos, Año reassured the public that “we will protect our territory and sovereign rights at all cost.”
The Chinese military earlier claimed that the BRP Conrado Yap trespassed into Chinese waters when it patrolled the waters of Panatag “without the approval of the Chinese government.”
“We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation to avoid further escalation,” a statement from the spokesperson from PLA Southern Theater Command read.
Pro-China Filipinos scored
PCG-West Philippine Sea (PCG-WPS) spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Philippines did not intend to pick a fight with China when it put the latter’s aggression in spotlight.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tarriela chided Filipinos spreading pro-China narratives on recent encounters between Chinese and Filipino vessels in Philippine waters.
One narrative reportedly intended to stoke fear of China’s possible armed retaliation. “Exposing China’s aggression is not inciting war,” Tarriela said.
He explained that by keeping political leaders and countrymen aware of China’s violations of international law, “we are safeguarding our country from political manipulation and disinformation.”
“By calling out China’s bad behavior at sea, we highlight which party is really responsible for raising tensions and increasing the likelihood of a kinetic conflict,” he pointed out.
What is ironic, the Coast Guard official said, is that the individuals spreading pro-China lies are claiming to be pro-Filipino while promoting Chinese narratives.
They even contradict factual reports from Philippine authorities, he lamented.
“Their intention is to manipulate public opinion and divert attention from the issue of Chinese aggression. Their strategy revolves around discrediting both the message and the messenger,” Tarriela said.
“Ultimately, their proposed solutions amount to accommodating China’s unreasonable and illegal claims, rather than seeking fair and just resolutions that safeguard our national interests,” he added.
The PCG official also denied that the United States influenced their actions in dealing with China in the WPS.
“Our transparency efforts are driven by our own national interest – the protection of the Philippines’ maritime rights,” he said.
The PCG is monitoring and documenting Beijing’s aggression by embedding news journalists in resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.
“The PCG does not have editorial control over what these journalists report,” he stressed.
“Our dedication to transparency is independent of any external influence, and we prioritize the dissemination of factual information to the public,” he added.
He also debunked accusations that those critical of China are anti-Filipinos and pro-US.
Tarriela said that it was their dedication to the Philippines that drove experts and government officials to speak against China’s actions in the WPS, and that their arguments are based on international law such as the UNCLOS and the Philippine Constitution.
“These individuals take principled positions based on defending our national interests,” he added.
He also said that instead of putting labels and attempting to discredit these patriotic Filipinos, their critics should instead offer solutions beneficial to the country’s national interests. — Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero