No accident by any means

After Philippine military officials described the attack by the China Coast Guard (CCG) on members of the Philippine Navy (PN) trying to resupply the marines stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre as “barbaric,” comes now Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin trying to calm the churning waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The CCG going beyond its use of water cannons in an incident that saw its personnel severely damaging with an axe and knives at least two PN rigid-hulled vessels underscores a stark reality — that Beijing’s aggressive tactics are leveling up.

While Palace efforts to de-escalate the situation may be commendable, with Bersamin saying the Philippines is not inclined to bring this latest confrontation before an international body, the time for measured diplomatic overtures may be waning.

Just to be clear, contrary to Bersamin’s take on the incident, the CCG’s actions against our troops cannot be described as arising from an “accident” or a “misunderstanding,” and to say so is to insult the collective intelligence of Filipinos.

After trying to sell the lie that its coast guard practiced restraint in undertaking “law enforcement” actions against the Navy Special Operations Group members, China’s mouthpieces have been largely unapologetic, thus any whimpering statements from high Philippine government officials would only fuel more bullying from Beijing.

With so many incidents of China running roughshod over claimant countries in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS, let us not kid ourselves that a stronger, more assertive stance is not necessary to counter this despicable Chinese belligerence at Ayungin Shoal, which is closer to our shores than to theirs.

China’s naked display of power at Ayungin Shoal ratchets up its strategic use of “gray zone” tactics — actions that are aggressive but fall short of armed conflict. The incident at Ayungin merely follows a familiar pattern of coercion that Beijing has employed not only in the WPS, but also in its border dispute — now a protracted standoff — with India in the Himalayas.

Using sticks and stones, China cared little that the world saw its preference for combining diplomatic pressure with forceful tactics to grab Indian land. At the Galwan Valley in 2020, Chinese and Indian soldiers, the latter forced to defend themselves, clashed resulting in casualties on both sides.

The Sino-Indian border dispute and China’s use of force short of utilizing firearms mirror the situation in the WPS, where Beijing’s incremental advances and aggressive posturing are intended to wear down the resistance of neighboring countries like the Philippines.

The Philippine government’s cautious approach, exemplified by Bersamin’s remarks, suggests a belief that diplomatic channels remain viable for resolving disputes with China. Yet, the repeated provocations at Ayungin Shoal and other areas of the West Philippine Sea indicate that Beijing is unlikely to be swayed by dialogue alone.

China’s actions reflect a calculated strategy to expand its influence and control in the South China Sea, disregarding international norms and the sovereign rights of other nations.

Therefore, the Philippines must be resolute and adopt more robust responses, including the planned deployment of an armored vessel to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre in place of those rickety wooden boats commissioned for the task in past resupply missions.

Let the Chinese use their machetes and knives against steel-reinforced PN vessels. Let us make it more difficult for their gray area tactics to work, in what is fast shaping up to be a battle of one-upmanship.

Amid all this, whatever happened to the multi-lateral pledges of support from nations allied with the Philippines? Have we heard strong enough condemnations from them in the face of China’s blatant assault not only on our civilian Philippine Coast Guard, but against no less than the Philippine Navy.

The international community must stand as one against this regional menace now threatening the stability and security of the entire region, if not the world.