By ALFRED GABOT and CLAIRE MORALES TRUE

Editor in Chief and Managing Editor

WASHINGTON/MANILA — Despite diplomatic efforts to ease tension and avoid possible armed conflict between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, the China Coast Guard ships rammed two Philippine Coast Guard vessels on their way to the Sabina Shoal, only 70 miles from Palawan, only days after China jets targetted Philippine Air Force planes with flares, heating up disputes again in the region as the US State Department and the Philippine Armed Forces condemned China’s latest “dangerous actions.”

In Washington, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan raised “grave concerns on the recent illegal, aggressive, and dangerous actions” of the Chinese air force and coast guard against their Philippine counterparts in a call to his Philippine counterpart Eduardo Ano.

Año reiterated to Sullivan the Philippines’ unassailable rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) based on international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

Ano said “the two NSAs look forward to the implementation of strategic priorities to accelerate the Philippines’ capability development and to continuously modernize the alliance.”

 In Manila, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said: “ The United States stands with the Philippines in condemning the China Coast Guard’s dangerous maneuvers near Sabina Shoal that endangered lives and caused damage to two Philippine Coast Guard vessels. We are committed to supporting the rights of our #FriendsPartnersAllies under international law.”

Two PCG ships – BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño – collided with CCG vessels (CCGV) 3104 and 21551 on Monday during a resupply mission en route to Patag and Lawak Islands in the Spratlys.

The Philippine Navy (PN), meanwhile, is focusing on protecting the country’s vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its available capital ships even as all-out war was ruled out.

“Without going into details (on) the numbers, the PN through the Philippine Fleet has a deployment plan that is now focusing on the EEZ based on the CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept) of the Department of National Defense. We are now focusing on the deployment of our capital ships to cover the vast expanse of the EEZ,” PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City 

China’s increasing aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is not expected to result in a full-blown conflict, Trinidad said.,

 Trinidad said the ships include the Jose Rizal-class frigates, the Gregorio Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessels, Emilio Jacinto-class patrol vessels, and the Conrado Yap-class corvette, to name a few.

Trinidad said the Navy’s mandate, along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is to defend and ensure the country’s territorial integrity.

He made this comment when asked if the PN is capable of taking over the PCG’s escort role after two of its ships were damaged in by the China Coast Guard’s latest act of harassment incident near Escoda Shoal (also known as Sabina Shoal) on Aug. 19.

The first incident occurred at 3:24 a.m. when CCGV-3104 performed aggressive maneuvers against BRP Cape Engaño colliding with the PCG’s ship’s starboard beam and creating a hole in the deck around five inches in diameter.

The second incident took place at 3:40 a.m. and involved BRP Bagacay and CCGV 21551 – the latter rammed the PCG vessel twice on both port and starboard sides, leading to minor structural damage as shown in several photos and videos.

Despite the harassment, both PCG ships continued their mission to deliver supplies to Philippine personnel.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, condemned China’s latest act of aggression, saying it is also keeping a close watch on the situation.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in a message to reporters, said the CCG’s actions not only endangered the lives of PCG personnel but also violated international maritime laws, particularly the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The AFP, together with the PCG, remains committed to sustaining our presence in the West Philippine Sea in exercising our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. We are also working with our regional partners and allies to ensure that all actions are in line with international law and to promote stability in the region,” she added.

Padilla also said the AFP is committed to supporting Filipino personnel stationed on Patag and Lawak Islands.

“We will continue to ensure that they receive the necessary supplies and support to carry out their duties. Their safety and well-being are our top priorities,” she added.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Wednesday urged the National Security Council (NSC) to convene and demand compensation from the People’s Republic of China for the damage sustained by two Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels rammed by Chinese Coast Guard ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal last Monday.

Tolentino said what happened is “unacceptable” and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should lodge a diplomatic protest.

“I hope that has been filed already,” Tolentino said.

 

Meanwhile, Philippine Navy (PN) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the PN is committed to ensuring the habitability of the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in Ayungin Shoal in the WPS.

“BRP Sierra Madre will remain, we will not give up that ship,” Trinidad said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Trinidad said they will ensure that the Philippines’ presence in Ayungin Shoal is “permanent.”

The Navy official also rejected China’s “false narratives” against the BRP Sierra Madre and its call for the pullout of the troops manning the vessel. 

“We should focus on the bigger picture of the vast expanse of the South China Sea, a portion of which is the WPS. Again, the presence of the agents of aggression of the Chinese Communist Party is causing all of the dynamics, all of the aggressive maneuvers in the WPS. This may shift from Ayungin Shoal to the eight other features to Bajo de Masinloc,” Trinidad said.

He said these “dynamics” of the Chinese Communist Party include the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s act of dropping flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force plane conducting maritime patrol in the Bajo de Masinloc on Aug. 8.  

Despite this, the naval official said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), along with the PCG, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, will continue to work in ensuring the integrity of Philippine territory.

“We will not let down or back down from performing our mandate of showing the flag, of resupplying the troops, of rotating the men,” he said.

Trinidad added that Manila’s actions in the WPS will be guided by the rules of engagement and international law.

In a related story the Philippines is studying the possible expansion of the coverage of the “provisional arrangement” in rotation and resupply (RORE) missions in Ayungin Shoal with China to cover other areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Newly-appointed National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson Alexander Lopez said this Tuesday following the latest incident in the WPS where two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were damaged after being harassed and rammed by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships in the waters adjacent to Escoda Shoal early Monday.

Lopez said the arrangement has been “useful” in ensuring the timely provision of supply to troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

In another development, the Philippines is eyeing to file a case before an international body against China after two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels were damaged after being subjected to “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” by China Coast Guard (CCG) ships in the waters adjacent to Escoda Shoal at the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Retired Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, the newly-appointed spokesperson of the National Maritime Council (NMC), said the country is looking at going beyond filing a diplomatic protest and elevating the incident to another body.

“We are looking at that, especially at the part of the Coast Guard because they know more of how to go about it,” he said in a Palace press briefing Tuesday.

Presidential Assistant on Maritime Concerns Secretary Andres Centino said the Solicitor General was among the three new members of the NMC, which may complement the country’s intent to pursue a legal action against China before an international body.

“One of these three is the Solicitor General, so that actually signifies the intent of the government to consider, perhaps a filing of a case,” Centino, a retired military general, said.

Pressed what international body the country is looking to bring the case, Centino said: “I would suppose there are United Nation bodies.”

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the PCG’s BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) were damaged after they were harassed and rammed by CCG vessels while en route to Patag and Lawak Islands near Escoda Shoal early Monday.