The United States on Saturday denounced the “dangerous actions” undertaken by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which, it said, endangered the lives of Filipino crewmen.

“The United States stands with its ally, the Philippines, and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea (SCS) on 23 March,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

A 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling affirmed the Philippines’ territorial rights in the WPS while junking China’s claim to nearly the entire SCS, two bodies of water that overlap each other.

Over the weekend, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported yet another use of a water cannon by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels en route to a resupply mission to troops stationed in BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.

According to NTF-WPS, the water cannon assault last Saturday caused injuries to the crew members of Unaizah May 4 and severe damage to the boat itself.

Philippine Coast Guard escort vessels, the BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan, were also subjected to the blocking maneuvers of a CCG vessel and two Chinese maritime militia ships.

The incident “marks only the latest in the PRC’s repeated obstruction of Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and disruption of supply lines to this longstanding outpost,” Miller said.

No lawful claims

“The PRC’s actions are destabilizing to the region and show clear disregard for international law,” he said.

Miller also cited the 2016 arbitral ruling, stressing that Beijing has no lawful claims to the Ayungin Shoal, describing it as a “low tide feature clearly within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.”

“As provided under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines, and the United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the ruling and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct,” he added.

The Ayungin Shoal, located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, has become the point of contention between the Philippines and China due to their overlapping claims.

The US State Department spokesperson also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to its Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila.

“The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea,” he said.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Sunday that three Filipinos were injured by the CCG’s use of a water cannon. 

“It will be up to us. We will do whatever we want to do, as to when what kind of resupply will it be, and we will do it according to our realm without any influence from other countries,” Año told reporters.

Año insisted that the Philippines has no binding agreement with China when it comes to their claims over the West Philippine Sea, particularly the removal of the country’s military outpost, BRP Sierra Madre (LS57), from Ayungin Shoal. 

“They are claiming so many, many alleged agreements in the past that we do not recognize,” he said.

‘Not deterred’

Año pointed out that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not recognized China’s claims that the Philippines previously promised to remove the grounded Philippine Navy amphibious ship.

“He is rejecting it, so there is no such thing as whatever arrangement or agreement,” he stressed. It was China’s actions that “were illegal, coercive, aggressive and even deceptive,” he averred.

“So we will continue to do this, we will not be deterred, we will not be intimidated because it is our right, and we have to protect our soldiers, our sailors there at BRP Sierra Madre,” he pressed on.

Año said the national security sector is considering calibrated resupply missions to protect those undertaking them.

Año will lead a meeting of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, which he heads, with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin this week.