President Duterte has finally spoken regarding the large number of Chinese vessels around Pagasa Island. He stated the Philippines and China are friends, but Pagasa Island is not to be touched, otherwise things will change. This is by far the strongest rebuke Duterte has told China, which was lauded by Senator Ping Lacson and former DFA secretary Albert Del Rosario, the latter having filed a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court. Del Rosario, in an unusual show of support for Duterte, urged all Filipinos to “rally behind the nation’s leader for his ‘admirable’ statement.”
But according to Senator Richard Gordon, China is not a friend. A friend does not send hundreds of ships, whether armed or not, to surround an island already controlled by the country, and harass or threaten our fishermen. If China is truly a friend, it should stop sending vessels, obviously sent to intimidate anyone approaching the island, and harassing our fishermen.
China has yet to issue a statement as of this writing, nor have any actions been taken regarding the vessels around Pagasa. The ball is in their court. But if we know anything about China, it will shrug off the complaint, and ignore Duterte’s statement. I wouldn’t be surprised if China would even issue a threat. The Palace should have filed a formal complaint with Beijing, where Duterte's statements would be accepted by Xi Jinping himself. I’m not holding my breath.
It was good to hear Duterte “put his foot down”, so to speak. China’s actions at Pagsasa can no longer be ignored, even by this administration. America is likewise concerned with China's actions. Remember, we have citizens living there, as well as some soldiers who are stationed at the island. Work is also being done, such as the “building of a beaching ramp, the rehabilitation of the runway, facilities for the soldiers, a possible desalination facility, sewage disposal system, conventional and renewable power generators, lighthouses, shelters and storage facilities for fishers”.
The large number of Chinese vessels around Pagasa is meant to intimidate our vessels from coming near the island to deliver supplies and construction materials. China never liked the idea of any rehabilitation being made on Pagasa. For them, to do so sends the wrong signals with regards to their claim of ownership over the whole ocean. Senator Gordon is correct in saying that friends do not intimidate each other. We have yet to see how this plays out, now that Duterte has issued a strong verbal statement.
Now if only the same strong statements would be said about Panatag Shoal.