The House of Representatives urged China on Monday to adhere to international law and stop resorting to violence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following two consecutive attacks on Filipino air and sea assets last week.
Speaker Martin Romualdez called on Beijing to hold a peaceful dialogue and consultation with the Philippines instead of engaging in confrontation, which he stressed does nothing but 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 against our vessels, this time a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship conducting a humanitarian mission to resupply Filipino fishermen with food, medical supplies, and diesel,” Romualdez said.
Over the weekend, Chinese maritime ships harassed the BRP Datu Sanday, a BFAR vessel conducting a humanitarian mission to deliver food, diesel, and medical supplies to Filipino fishermen at Escoda Shoal.
The incident occurred while the Datu Sanday was sailing from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Jiao.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the China People’s Liberation Army Navy and multiple China Coast Guard (CCG) ships encircled and blocked the humanitarian mission.
According to the task force, the CCG conducted “close perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasting its horn, and firing water cannons at the BFAR vessel, which led to engine failure and forced the early termination of the humanitarian operation.”
Romualdez lamented the dangerous maneuvers by China, which continues to use its “might to harass and terrorize our vessels and personnel inside our own territory.”
On 19 August, CCG ships rammed two Philippine Coast Guard vessels during a supply mission to Patag and Lawak Islands in the waters near Escoda Shoal, resulting in structural damage to the PCG boats.
Deescalate tensions
The two recent violent confrontations between the China and the Philippines occurred even as the two countries reached a consensus in July to deescalate tensions in 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 on the Law of the Sea, to which China and the Philippines are signatories,” Romualdez said, referring to Hasa-Hasa Shoal.
The House chief likewise emphasized that the two shoals are more than 1,000 miles from China.
On Monday, the CCG blocked the BRP Cabra and shadowed the BRP Engaño which were on a rotation and reprovisioning (RoRe) mission to the BRP Teresa Magbanua at Escoda Shoal.
The PCG vessels left Buliluyan port in Palawan for Escoda Shoal on Monday morning on the RoRe mission but failed to deliver the supplies when the Chinese ships blocked them.
China has territorial claims to nearly the entire South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS, notwithstanding a 2016 international arbitral ruling that deemed its sovereignty assertion baseless.
The ruling affirmed the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive EEZ in the WPS.
Despite the series of violent confrontations, Romualdez underscored the robust commitment of the Marcos administration to uphold the Philippines’ dignity, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Senators slam China, too
Senators also expressed disappointment over China’s continuing hostile actions in the WPS.
Senator Nancy Binay said China’s recent “inflammatory actions” against the Philippine civilian vessel at Escoda Shoal in the WPS “test the limits of our nation’s goodwill.”
She stressed the China Coast Guard’s unwarranted acts were not only a violation of international law “but also a blatant disregard for the kindness and patience” the Philippine government has consistently shown in addressing the maritime disputes peacefully.
“These inhumane and unjustifiable actions by the China Coast Guard against the BRP Datu Sanday on a lawful resupply mission on 25 August are clear acts of aggression that endanger the lives of our brave servicemen,” Binay said.
The senator pointed out the Philippine Congress will continue to stand firm in the country’s commitment to secure its territorial rights and safeguard the welfare of the people, particularly those residing in the WPS.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri scored China’s dangerous maneuvers that showed a blatant disrespect for an earlier understanding of deescalation between Manila and Beijing.
He was pertaining to the recently concluded bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea.
Amid China’s escalating aggression, Zubiri questioned its sincerity in fulfilling future agreements with the Philippines.
“You can’t even trust them to show simple decency. We condemn this latest act of aggression displayed by China and protest their actions on Philippine territory,” he said.