Philippines, US national security heads discuss sea row

MANILA, Philippines — Top security officials of the Philippines and the United States have expressed grave concern over China’s continuing and latest acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone on Tuesday to exchange information on the current maritime security situation in the region and how both can work together in addressing this.

The National Security Council (NSC) said they “particularly raised grave concerns on the recent illegal, aggressive and dangerous actions of China’s People’s Liberation Army-Air Force against a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducting a routine maritime security operation over Bajo de Masinloc.”

Both also discussed how China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels harassed and rammed Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships in the area of the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal while en route to Patag Island and Lawak Island.

The NSC said both security advisers look forward to the implementation of strategic priorities to accelerate the Philippines’ capability development and to continuously modernize the alliance.

Sullivan also lauded the recently concluded inaugural Philippines-Vietnam joint coast guard exercise and Manila’s efforts to expand the conduct of maritime cooperative activities with like-minded countries in the region and beyond.

Following Monday’s ramming incident that damaged a PCG vessel, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has committed to increase its presence and aerial and naval patrol operations in the WPS.

The military gave assurance that it will not be deterred and will continue to defend and secure the country’s rights and sovereignty within its exclusive economic zone.

China gaslighting Philippines

International maritime security expert Ray Powell accused China of gaslighting the Philippines over the disputed WPS.

In an interview with “Storycon” on One News on Tuesday, Powell said China is maintaining its “typical” behavior of blaming the country whenever an incident caused by CCG’s unlawful and aggressive maneuvers occurred in WPS.

China has issued a false narrative about the incident on Monday, pinning the blame on the PCG’s vessels.

“This is pretty typical of China. Whenever they try to block the Philippines’ movement. The Philippines tries to get around the ship and [when] the ships collide, they blame the Philippines. What possible motivation would the Philippines have going out and running out into Chinese ship?” Powell asked.

“It’s what the term gaslighting is. It is trying to refute your reality, it is introducing its completely contrary and clearly false idea. And trying to see if they can get you and others (to believe them),” Powell added.

However, Powell said compared to Ayungin Shoal, China will have difficulties in controlling Escoda Shoal.

“It takes a number of ships. Controlling Sabina Shoal is really hard. It’s a much larger feature and you can’t have just one entrance like in Ayungin Shoal,” he said.

“And, of course, it is much closer to the Philippines for they have to go further away from their base Mischief (Panganiban) Reef. And, of course, unlike the BRP Sierra Madre the Philippine ship in Sabina Shoal can move,” Powell said.

“Tactically for China, it’s a harder problem. They are not gonna defend this very, very large feature. And if Teresa Magbanua wanted to move to different parts of the shoal they can do it today,” Powell said.

He said China is engaged in a “grey zone battle” in its serious efforts to take over the WPS, which is merely based on its nine-dash line.

“China’s sovereignty claims over all these are very ambiguous. Sometimes, they will say that all of the nine-dash line belongs to China. But then sometimes they will say we don’t claim sovereignty over everything, it just that specific places. And so really, whatever they decide is theirs,” Powell said.

“It is a moving of the battle lines and, this [is] the grey zone. And the battle lines had been drawn before at Ayungin Shoal and they have now moved closer to Palawan,” he said.

‘Convene NSC’

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino reiterated his call for the Philippine government to convene the NSC after the incident in Escoda Shoal.

“I reiterate my plea to the President to convene the NSC because what happened was an aggravated action. The convening of the NSC will allow the country to formulate a more focused response,” Tolentino said.

“We can get the opinion of the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). This [incident involves] one of the highest forms of aggravated maritime intentional allision and collision,” Tolentino noted.

He further said the incident puts into question the sincerity and seriousness of China in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting mechanism with the Philippines.

“China must show its sincerity in negotiating with the Philippines. We just concluded the talks on Ayungin Shoal, and this happened,” lamented Tolentino, who has strongly advocated for multilateral mechanisms to resolve the issues between the Philippines and China. “The rhetoric must stop. We should file the necessary cases.”

Tolentino also said the Philippines must demand compensation from China for the damage sustained by two PCG patrol vessels after being rammed by CCG in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal.

“The Philippines should also file a claim for damages. Under Part 15 of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), the owner of the ship, whether state-owned or private, can be held accountable for what happened,” he added.

Tolentino said he intends to bring up during the budget hearing of the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice his proposal for the creation of a specialized team of lawyers that will handle maritime cases. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Cecille Suerte Felipe