PUERTO, PALAWAN — Military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday assured that it has planned countermeasures against China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Brawner, in a press conference, asserted that the AFP will not be deterred in fulfilling its mandate to protect the country’s territory, including the WPS. 

“There’s a continuous presence of our uniformed personnel here in the West Philippine Sea and we will continue to defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights. That’s our main objective,” he stressed. 

Brawner said there are so many operations underway in the WPS, including the country’s joint sails with its allied countries. 

“What we want to assure is that—our fisherfolks and our scientific researchers can freely maximize our resources within our exclusive economic zones,” he stressed.

Brawner said there are counteractions in place. 

“We cannot divulge the details, but what we want to send our kababayans is that the AFP will continue doing its mandate. The Philippines will not be deterred,” he noted. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Brawner visited the AFP’s Western Command, days after the latest Philippines-China confrontation in Ayungin Shoal in the WPS. 

China Coast Guard’s behavior during the AFP’s rotation and resupply mission on 23 March was described as the “most dangerous maneuver” against the Philippine ships.

The AFP-chartered civilian supply boat was severely damaged after it was blasted with water cannons by two CCG vessels while en route to the country’s military outpost. While the escort vessels from the Phillippine Coast Guard were blocked and harassed by CCG ships, in tandem with the Chinese Maritime Militia. 

“This is not only the most dangerous but in fact, this is that they totally pinagilan yung ating mga supply boat (blocked our supply boats) to reach the BRP Sierra Madre,” Brawner told the media. 

Despite China’s heightened aggression, Brawner touted the RORE mission as “partially” successful. 

“We were able to bring our personnel on rotation while other supplies were brought to Sierra Madre so we’re still partially successful in doing that operation,” he added. 

Brawner lamented China’s heightened acts of aggression in the Philippine waters. 

“We are also concerned with the amount of aggressiveness that [China] has shown in the latest resupply mission,” he said.

Brawner recalled that China’s water cannon attack against the supply boat in December last year was not as intense as the blasting it did in the latest RORE mission.

“But this time, it was too strong. The pressure of the water was enough to throw our personnel, who was severely injured because he was badly hit by the water cannon. He is now in the hospital because he was thrown into the wall of the boat,” he said. 

Without the wall, Brawner said the navy personnel could have been thrown overboard the Unaizah May 4 because of the strong water pressure. 

“We really don’t know what is the objective of the Chinese Coast Guard, but the fact is the water stream was too strong when it hit our boat,” he added.

Upgrading BRP Sierra Madre

Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, AFP Western Command chief, said the military and the PCG will keep maximum tolerance amid China’s provocation. 

“While we are enraged and disgusted with the actions of our adversaries in the West Philippine Sea, which are illegal and unlawful actions, the WesCom and the aFP and the Philippine Coast Guard will remain committed to the maintenance of order and peace in the area. Whatever action they will take against our personnel, our response, it has to be balanced to keep the peace,” he said. 

Further, Carlos said that China has no right to question the Philippines’ activities in its EEZ. 

“They don’t have the right to be there, in the first place, because it a low-tide elevation, tayo ang may karapatan ‘don (we all have the right in there),” he said. 

China recently justified its untoward behavior, claiming that the Philippine supply boat “transported a large amount of construction materials” on 23 March. 

“The purpose is not to resupply life necessities, but to repair and reinforce the illegally grounded warship,” Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong told foreign reporters on Monday. 

Carlos, in response, said the Philippines doesn’t need China’s permission because the country has sovereign rights over the WPS. 

“Whatever we want to bring that is necessary [to maintain] the LS57 (BRP Sierra Madre), we don’t need to ask permission from them. We don’t need to tell them what we will be bringing in there,” he emphasized. 

China accused the Philippines of “attempting to send materials, including construction materials, to the military vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao (Chinese name of Ayungin Shoal) to build a permanent military outpost so as to achieve long-term and illegal occupation.”