THE military’s Western Command (Wescom) said Sunday it fully supports the recent filing of diplomatic protests against China over the “lingering presence” of about 100 Chinese fishing vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef and the blocking by its coast guard of a Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.
The Wescom, which is under Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, said it hoped that the complaint be favorably acted upon by the Chinese government in order to ensure the “continued peace and stability in the area.”
By installing fish nets and mooring several Chinese fishing vessels, the Chinese Coast Guard blocked the entrance of the Ayungin Shoal during a resupply mission for Filipino soldiers guarding the shoal and who are stationed aboard the partly sunken BRP Sierra Madre.
The Department of Foreign Affairs lodged a diplomatic protest with the Chinese Embassy in Manila to officially complain against the so-called “interference” in the “legitimate” activities of the Philippine government in the area.
The protest was announced over Twitter a few hours after President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appeared and gave a speech before the Chinese and Filipino-Chinese community in Makati City.
The DFA said the Chinese Coast Guard installed buoys and fish net, preventing Philippine Coast Guard vessels from entering the shoal to provide provisions for Filipino soldiers stationed at BRP Sierra Madre.
The Philippine Coast Guard boats also bring troops in and out of the ship for regular rotation of forces.
The DFA tweet did not give more details, except that these are “recent incidents” which also include China’s illegal fishing as well as “shadowing” of China Coast Guard vessels of Philippine boats.
“The DFA has lodged today another protest over recent incidents in Ayungin Shoal, including China’s illegal fishing, shadowing of China Coast Guard vessels of Philippine boats on a rotation and reprovision mission, and the installation of buoys and fish nets that blocked the shoal’s entrance.
“The 2016 Arbitral Award affirmed that Ayungin Shoal is within [Philippine exclusive economic zone] and continental shelf. [China] has no right to fish, monitor, or interfere with [Philippines’s] legitimate activities therein. [The Philippines] calls on [China] to comply with its obligations under international law, including Unclos and the Arbitral Award,” the DFA tweet said.
This is the second diplomatic protest that was made public by the DFA this week among more than 300 protests that it said it had lodged during President Duterte’s six-year term.
Last Thursday, the DFA protested the swarming of over 110 Chinese militia boats near the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef. This coincided on the Philippine-China Friendship Day and the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
The military’s area command, which is in charge of the Kalayaan Island Group and West Philippine Sea (WPS), said it was hoping that issues involving the WPS would be “diplomatically resolved soonest” in order to avoid any “miscalculation of actions.”
Vice Admiral Carlos said the resolution is needed in order to ensure “peaceful coexistence of all stakeholders until conflicting maritime claims of some portions of the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone are amicably settled.”
“In the meantime, Wescom assures the Filipino people that Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights will not be compromised in the WPS area,” the unit assured.
The Wescom said it will sustain a “strong presence” in the area through “effective occupation of Philippine-held WPS features, and will continue joint naval and maritime air patrols with other government instrumentalities like the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippine National Police Maritime Group.”