Philippines won’t instigate war in West Philippine Sea — President Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is not in the business of waging war and does not seek to deliberately harm anyone, but its peaceful stance should not be viewed as a submission to foreign powers, President Marcos said yesterday.

In his first remarks on the June 17 incident, which saw the China Coast Guard (CCG) attacking a Philippine resupply mission bound for Ayungin Shoal, Marcos said history would show that Filipinos have never yielded to any foreign power, and they owe it to their forefathers to keep the freedoms they “fought, bled and died for.” 

But he maintained that the Philippines is a “responsible state” and would continue to exercise its freedoms and rights in support of its national interest, in accordance with international law.

“We are not in the business to instigate wars – our ambition is to provide a peaceful and prosperous life for every Filipino. This is the drum beat, this is the principle we live by and that we march by,” Marcos told members of the Palawan-based Armed Forces Western Command (WESCOM), the military unit that secures the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“We refuse to play by the rules that force us to choose sides in a great power competition. No government that truly exists in the service of the people will invite danger or harm to lives and livelihood,” he added.While some sectors regard the June 17 incident as an armed attack, Marcos reiterated that Filipinos would stay true to their nature and would settle all issues peacefully. However, he stressed that the Philippines would never allow itself to be suppressed or oppressed by anyone.“And in the performance of our duties, we will not resort to the use of force or intimidation, or deliberately inflict injury or harm to anyone,” Marcos, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said. “But at the same time, we stand firm. Our calm and peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for acquiescence.”

At least eight Philippine Navy sailors were hurt when the CCG rammed into a Filipino vessel tasked to deliver supplies to soldiers stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated, grounded ship that serves as a military installation in Ayungin Shoal.

The shoal, known internationally as Second Thomas, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is located about 194 kilometers from Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometers from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island. Chinese sailors used bladed and pointed weapons to stop the resupply mission, officials said. Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the CCG personnel had bladed weapons while the Filipino soldiers “fought with bare hands.”

One of the Navy personnel, Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Jeffrey Facundo, lost his thumb during the incident.

The AFP has criticized China’s “illegal presence and activities” within the Philippines’ jurisdiction, saying the continued hostile behavior of the CCG is what escalates tensions in the area.

The military has also described China’s actions as “coercive, aggressive and barbaric,” noting that they caused severe damage to its vessels, including their communication and navigation equipment.

Brawner likened the CCG personnel to pirates, as he revealed how troops – armed with bolos, spears, machetes and knives – tried to stop Philippine Navy soldiers from reaching the Sierra Madre.But at a press conference last Friday, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the Philippine government is not yet ready to consider China’s latest action as an armed attack, describing it as “probably a misunderstanding or an accident.” 

In their recent statements, US officials have reiterated that any attack on the Philippines’ aircraft, vessels or military would trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty, a 1951 accord that permits Manila and Washington to jointly develop their capabilities to respond to external armed aggression.

The encounter near Ayungin was the latest run-in between the Philippines and China that stemmed from their longstanding dispute over the WPS, the part of the South China Sea that is within the Philippines’ EEZ and continental shelf.

China’s maritime claim covers more than 90 percent of the strategic sea lane, but an international arbitral court ruled in 2016 that its claim has no legal basis.

The landmark ruling, which stemmed from a case filed by the administration of the late president Benigno Aquino III, also affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, states have sovereign rights to explore, exploit and conserve and manage natural resources within their EEZ.

China has refused to recognize the arbitral ruling and has resorted to aggressive measures to assert its claim, including water cannon attacks and dangerous maneuvers to stop Philippine resupply missions bound for Ayungin Shoal. 

‘Mission accomplished’

Despite the row, Marcos said the latest resupply operation in Ayungin was “mission accomplished,” praising the WESCOM troops for performing the task “bravely without flinching, without hesitation.”

“The past few weeks have been nothing short of challengibng, and you can even say dangerous. But despite these challenges, you have stood up and upheld the fundamental principles that bind all of us Filipinos. A mutual respect for life, for dignity and for community,” the President said in a separate speech during a meet and greet with WESCOM troops also in Palawan. “So, on behalf of the Filipino nation, I make this great request (to) you: continue to fulfill your duty of defending the nation with integrity and respect as you have done so far.”Marcos also commended the Filipino troops for remaining calm, saying the entire Philippines salutes them for their professionalism.  

“The situation is dangerous and if one of you commits a mistake or gets angry or loses his temper, chaos would ensue. But you have not done any of that, you have remained professional. You have remained calm. You have remained mission-oriented. And for that, we thank you for your service,” Marcos said. “You inspire with your actions, the rest of the military – and not only the rest of the military, but the entire Filipino nation.”

Marcos assured the troops that his stance on the issue would not change, and that he would not allow anyone to take what belongs to the Philippines.  “Since I became President, I have made it very, very clear that we will do everything that we need to do to defend our territory, to defend our sovereignty and to allow our citizens to exercise their sovereign rights within the EEZ,” he said. “We will continue what we are doing. We stand on solid ground. The international law is with us. We are on very solid international legal grounds on this. The world recognizes our territory and our EEZ... where we, as Filipino citizens, can exercise our sovereign rights. That will not change. And you have played a very, very important part in the defense of our sovereignty.”

Soldiers honored

During his visit to WESCOM, Marcos awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the 80 soldiers who were part of the June 17 Ayungin resupply operation.

Joined by Brawner and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the President praised the troops for their unwavering commitment to protecting the nation’s sovereignty despite the dangers they face.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu is awarded to government officials, personnel and private individuals who rendered invaluable or extraordinary service in line with the President’s campaign or advocacy.

Facundo, whose finger was cut during the incident, was awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan, which is given to those who were seriously wounded or suffered great loss of property as a direct result of their participation in an activity pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the President.

The rest of the soldiers who participated in the mission were honored with the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kamagi. “As we award these medals, we remember that on June 17th, we made a conscious and deliberate choice to remain in the path of peace. The government will continue to provide you (with) all your needs and look after your welfare and your families’ welfare,” Marcos said.“I have never been prouder of the brave women, men and not just the Western Command but the entire Armed Forces, as I am today. I salute the 80 officers and troops who sailed the waters and exercised the greatest restraint amidst intense provocation. You demonstrated to the world that the Filipino spirit is one that is brave, determined and yet is compassionate,” he added.

Chinese warships

Meanwhile, a farmers’ group yesterday expressed concern over the presence of Chinese warships in Western Mindanao waters.

Katipunan ng mga Kilusang Artisanong Mangingisda sa Pilipinas leader Roberto Ballon asked concerned government officials to immediately act on the presence of the Chinese warships.

“It’s unfair that Chinese warships freely navigate the waters in Mindanao. We are thrown out of our waters in the West Philippines Sea,” Ballon said.

He asked the government to tighten security in the area, so that fishermen can catch fish without fear.

Ballon cited reports that last week, Naval Forces Western Mindanao monitored China’s military vessels, believed to be training ships and an amphibious transport dock, passing through the Basilan and Sibutu Straits within Sulu waters and Zamboanga peninsula.

He said that the two straits are considered international bodies of water under the UNCLOS, giving the right of transit passage to vessels of all nations.

He noted “Chinese vessels may not be that aggressive now, but we don’t know what will happen next, given the tense situation in the WPS. That is why there must be an aggressive action from our government as Chinese threats are imminent.”

Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement president Edicio dela Torre said China is using a “double standard” procedure.

“While China enjoys rules of innocent passage and freedom of navigation in our territorial waters, they act opposite in the WPS.

We are worried that our fishermen will be the next to suffer in crossing the sea or catching fish resources from our own waters,” he noted. — Pia Lee-Brago, Mark Ernest Villeza, Bella Cariaso