Romualdez condemns CCG's actions, calls on China for peaceful dialogue

The House of Representatives urged China on Monday to adhere to international law and cease resorting to violence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following its two consecutive attacks against Filipino authorities by air and at sea last week. 

Speaker Martin Romualdez called on Beijing to hold a peaceful dialogue and consultation with the Philippines instead of engaging in confrontation, which does nothing but only further escalate tensions between the two nations.

"Again, we condemn in the strongest terms this newest reckless and dangerous maneuvers by the China Coast Guard on our vessels, this time a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship conducting a humanitarian mission by resupplying Filipino fishermen with food, medical supplies and diesel," Romualdez stressed.

Over the weekend, Chinese maritime vessels reportedly harassed BRP Datu Sanday, a BFAR vessel conducting a humanitarian mission to resupply food, diesel, and medical supplies to Filipino fishermen in Escoda Shoal.

The incident happened while BRP Datu Sanday was operating from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Jiao.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea detailed that the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy and multiple China Coast Guard (CCG) ships attempted to encircle and block the humanitarian mission. 

According to the task force, the CCG made "close perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons against the BFAR vessel, eventually leading to the latter's engine failure and forcing an early termination of the humanitarian operation."

Romualdez lamented the back-to-back dangerous maneuvers of China, which he said continue to use its "might to harass and terrorize our vessels and personnel inside our own territory."

On 19 August, CCG ships also rammed two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels during a supply mission to Patag and Lawak Islands in the waters near Escoda Shoal, resulting in structural damages.

The recent two violent confrontations between the Philippines and China transpired even as they reached a consensus in July to de-escalate the tensions in the disputed waters of the WPS.

Hasa-Hasa (Half-Moon) Shoal is located approximately 60 nautical miles from Rizal, Palawan, while Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is around 110 nautical miles away, both well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"This area is clearly within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, to which China and the Philippines are signatories," Romualdez lamented, referring to Hasa-Hasa Shoal.

The House chief, likewise, emphasized that the two shoals are more than 1,000 miles from China.

On Monday, CCG blocked anew two PCG vessels, namely, BRP Cabra and shadowed the BRP Engaño while on a rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) mission to the BRP Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal in WPS.

The PCG vessels reportedly left Buliluyan port in Palawan for Escoda Shoal on Monday morning for the RORE mission but failed to deliver supplies due to Chinese ships blocking them.

China has territorial claims in nearly the entire South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS, notwithstanding a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed its sovereignty assertion baseless.

The ruling affirmed the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive EEZ in the WPS.

Despite a series of violent confrontations, Romualdez underscored the robust commitment of the Marcos administration to upholding the Philippines' dignity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.