By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – China’s harassment actions against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels going about their peaceful and lawful missions mission near Bajo de Masinloc (BdM) in the West Philippine Sea undermines peace and international maritime rules, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Friday.
“The China Coast Guard (CCG)’s dangerous and coercive actions against Philippine civilian and government vessels engaged in a legitimate mission undermine regional peace and disregard international maritime rules,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said when asked for a comment regarding this latest Chinese illegal and aggressive action against Philippine law enforcement vessels.
The PCG and BFAR were engaged in a fuel subsidy mission, the so-called “Kadiwa ng Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda” program, which provides fuel subsidies to Filipino fisherfolk amid rising fuel prices, when harassed by CCG ships with water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.
“The mission proceeded despite illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions by the CCG,” the PCG reported.
Trinidad said the AFP expressed its full support to the PCG and BFAR in the lawful performance of their mandate to protect Filipino fishermen and upholding the country’s rights in the WPS.
He stressed that all Philippine activities within the country’s exclusive economic zone are consistent with international law, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
“We remain committed to supporting whole-of-government efforts to safeguard our maritime interests and defend national sovereignty in accordance with the Constitution and international law,” he added.
NTF-WPS stance
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) also condemned the “unlawful and dangerous actions” of the CCG.
“These vessels were performing a legitimate public service ensuring that Filipino fisherfolk can safely exercise their traditional fishing rights at BdM recognized under international law and affirmed by the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. They were met instead with water cannons and dangerous maneuvers that placed lives at risk and endangered safe navigation,” the task force said in a press release.
Despite these developments, the NTF-WPS said the 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding.
“It invalidated China’s expansive maritime claim because it has no basis in international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and it affirmed the traditional fishing rights of Filipino fisherfolk at BdM. No amount of coercion at sea by Chinese vessels can overturn a binding ruling or create rights that international law does not recognize,” it said.
The task force vowed to continue to support operations in the WPS that protect Filipino fisherfolk, uphold Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and implement the 2016 Arbitral Award in a responsible, professional, and peaceful manner.
“The NTF-WPS calls on the CCG to cease their dangerous and illegal actions, comply with China’s obligations under UNCLOS, and respect the 2016 Arbitral Award,” it said, underscoring that it “stands firm in upholding Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the WPS.” (PNA)
