By Claire Morales True

MANILA/VIENTIANE – Another Chinese vessel has rammed a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship in the West Philippine Sea in stark contrast to China’s leaders call for peace and dialogue.

The United States and several European and Asian countries, including the just-concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, have denounced China’s “increasingly dangerous” maneuvers inside and outside Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone.

This as thousands of US and Filipino troops launched joint exercises in the northern and western Philippines under their annual Kamandag, or Venom, military drills focused this time on defending northern Philippines, near Taiwan and western Palawan. (See related stories)

 The US and Philippines are are joined by smaller troops of Australian, British, Japanese and South Korean forces

The BRP Datu Cabaylo, a civilian patrol vessel of BFAR, had sustained minor damage on October 11 when it was “deliberately sideswiped” by a “Chinese Maritime Militia” vessel.

The collision dented the 30-metre (98-foot) vessel’s front right section, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said in a statement.

“Prior to this, the CMM vessel 00108 conducted dangerous maneuvers and tried to block the path of BRP Datu Cabaylo. (MMOV 3001). These dangerous maneuvers caused the sideswiping and collision with the BFAR vessel, which sustained minor dents in its starboard bow,” it added.

“The BFAR vessel maintained its position and was able to continue with its MARPAT mission in the Pag-asa Sandy Cays,” BFAR said.

“Both the BRP Datu Cabaylo and the BRP Datu Sanday successfully completed their MARPAT mission in the Pag-asa Sandy Cays, and are now safely docked at the Pag-asa Sheltered Port,” they added.

At the ASEAN summit, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised the issue of China’s actions in the sea.

Marcos also pressed Southeast Asian leaders and China  to urgently speed up negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, while accusing Beijing of harassment and intimidation.

“There should be more urgency in the pace of the negotiations of the ASEAN-China code of conduct,” Marcos said.

“It is regrettable that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense and unchanged. We continue to be subjected to harassment and intimidation,” Marcos added.

Department of National Defense  Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, saidhe is not inclined to believe that China is committed to settling maritime difference with other countries.

“Committed sila sa dialogue kaso sila lang ang naniniwala sa sinasabi nila. ‘Yan ang problema. Kung committed sila sa dialogue ‘yung kapanipaniwala naman, tapos nakalagay na naman may colatilla na committed to dialogue based on historical facts ba ang nakalagay (They are claiming that they are committed to dialogue but they are the only ones believing that. That’s the problem with their statement. If they are committed to dialogue, then it must be believable at least, they should not be putting the colatilla that they are committed to dialogue based on historical facts),” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction Reduction (APMCDRRR) being held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The actions of Beijing cannot be construed as a commitment to meaningful dialogue, Teodoro said.

“Anong klaseng dialogue ‘yun? Monologue na naman na sila lang ang naniniwala (What kind of dialogue is that? A monologue as they are ones only believing it),” he added.

In the recently concluded ASEAN Forum in Laos, the Chinese claimed that the situation at the South China Sea is “generally stable” and that Beijing is “committed to settling maritime differences with countries concerned through dialogue and consultation on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law.”

Teodoro said the Philippines is committed to resolving issues with China, provided that the country “is not being fooled.”

“I will not give a thought on whether or not China will align but let’s scrutinize their actions and what they are putting forward in the discussions on the Code of Conduct that I would like to see,” he said.

Teodoro maintained that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is constrained to exhaust all peaceful and pacific measures to settle the country’s territorial dispute with Beijing.

“The President also echoed that in saying that we cannot turn a blind, cast a blind eye or turn a blind eye on what is happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. Nevertheless, the Philippines, the President, is constrained because of our constitution to exhaust all peaceful and pacific measures of settling territorial disputes,” he added.