Philippine Navy told: Force unauthorized except in defense

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy personnel involved in last Monday’s confrontation had been instructed that use of force to accomplish the mission “is not authorized unless in self defense,” according to Philippine Navy spokesman Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad.

In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said its commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan bestowed the “Distinguished Coast Guard Cross and Ribbon” on the crew of its two multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) BRP Cabra and BRP Bagacay.

The simple awarding was held at Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, Palawan last Wednesday.

The two Coast Guard vessels have been providing security assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s during its resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre aground in Ayungin Shoal.

“I think we did our part. We provided rescue activity required, we provided the medical aid, and the towing of boats which were destroyed. Our role was limited to that,” Gavan said.

He stressed the PCG “will remain calm, professional and determined in pursuing the peaceful and rules-based order in this part of the world.

“We will leverage the strength of the PCG which is humanitarian, unarmed service,” he pointed out.

“We will continue to do so to make sure the South China Sea, or the West Philippine Sea, will remain conducive for Filipinos to live in accordance with our own way of life,” he added.

In a post on X, PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said China will continue asserting its claims in the West Philippine Sea whether the next elected president is pro-Beijing or not.

“Whether the elected president is pro-Beijing or takes a stance against Chinese aggression, the People’s Republic of China will persist in advancing their creeping invasion of the West Philippine Sea,” he wrote on his X account.

“A pro-Beijing president would choose to remain silent about it, while a patriotic president would expose the illegal presence, provocative actions, and bullying tactics, similar to President @bongbongmarcos who employs transparency in addressing these issues,” he said, mentioning the Chief Executive’s X account.

The PCG has been advocating transparency in its campaign to deter Chinese encroachment.

“If an administration stands up to China, the latter will apply pressure and escalate tensions. China then decreases tensions deliberately when a Beijing-friendly government is in power,” he said.

Meanwhile, Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) Chief of Joint Staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida has declared support for the Philippines concerning the recent incident in Ayungin Shoal.

“JSDF always stands on the side of AFP, and JSDF will deepen its cooperation with Philippines and like-minded countries,” Yoshida was quoted as telling AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. during a teleconference.

Brawner, for his part, expressed his gratitude to the JSDF for its continued support for the AFP.

“We are very thankful for the support that Japan is giving us. Japan was one of the first countries that gave its support condemning the actions of CCG,” he said. — Ghio Ong, Evelyn Macairan