THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has condemned China over its “barbaric and inhumane behavior” after its coast guard personnel harassed and intervened during an ongoing medical evacuation of a sick Filipino soldier from the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a statement, PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said the incident happened on May 19 when vessels and small boats from the China Coast Guard engaged in dangerous maneuvers in a bid to block a Philippine Navy Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) carrying sick personnel for immediate medical evacuation.
“During our attempt to bring the PCG HSRB (High Speed Response Boat) alongside the PN RHIB at the rendezvous point, we were harassed by vessels and small boats from the China Coast Guard through blocking operations,” he said.
“Despite informing the Chinese Coast Guard via radio and public address system about the humanitarian nature of our mission for medical evacuation, they still engaged in dangerous maneuvers and even intentionally rammed the PN RHIB while transporting the sick personnel,” he added.
He said China deployed two Coast Guard vessels, two small boats, and two rubber boats during the incident, which “clearly demonstrated their intention to prevent the sick personnel from receiving the proper medical attention he urgently needed.”
The Filipino troops, however, successfully outmaneuvered the numerous CCG assets and completed the transfer of the sick personnel, ensuring their safe arrival at Buliluyan Port in Palawan.
In an interview, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said they would only allow delivery of living necessities to BRP Sierra Madre or evacuation of personnel concerned if they are notified in advance.
In response, National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said that Mao’s statement is “absurd, nonsense and unacceptable” as he maintained that the Philippines do not or will never need China’s approval for any of its activities in its territorial waters.
“We reaffirm our commitment to uphold our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Ayungin Shoal, which is well within our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) as recognized by international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” said Año.
“We emphasize that the Philippines will continue to maintain and supply our outposts in the West Philippine Sea, including the BRP Sierra Made, without seeking permission from any other nation. Our operations are conducted within our own territorial waters and EZ, and we will not be deterred by foreign interference or intimidation,” he added.
Año said the Philippines remains open to dialogue and peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes in the entire South China Sea, but it must be based on mutual respect and adherence to international law.
“We call on China to respect the arbitral ruling and to cease actions that escalate tensions or undermine regional stability,” he added.
China refused to recognize an arbitral ruling invalidating its claims within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line which is over 90 percent of the WPS.
The Philippine government has filed hundreds of protests against China in the past years over the harassment of either Filipino troops or fishermen in the disputed waters.
Tarriela also reported another incident where Chinese maritime personnel harassed Filipino scientists conducting a marine scientific research mission at Escoda Shoal in the WPS on June 7.
He released a video showing the conduct of a “military amphibious exercise” in the area as the research mission was ongoing to drive away Filipino scientists who were then accompanied by PCG personnel and several journalists.
The group, however, was able to survey almost half of the atoll.
In a media forum, Dr. Jonathan Anticamara from the University of the Institute of Biology who joined the mission noted the “ecological disaster” in Sabina Shoal “due to the presence of Chinese vessels and climate change.”
Anticamara described the Sabina Shoal, also called Escoda Shoal, as “completely dead.”
“So, ang nangyari sa Sabina ngayon ay medyo disastrous kasi marami sa mga foundation na species tawag natin corals or habitat-forming species are completely dead sa mga shallow waters,” he explained.
(So, what happened in Sabina today is quite disastrous because many of the foundation species, which we call corals or habitat-forming species, are completely dead in the shallow waters.)
“So for me, this is really local extinction. Ito iyong sinasabi natin na what the humanity is facing now is the greatest problem of humanity [which] is biodiversity lost. Extensive amount of species being lost. Sa case ng Escoda ngayon, ang consequence nito, nawawala napakadaming mga species ng isda, crabs, shrimps etcetera na-extinct sila locally,” he added.
(So for me, this is really local extinction. This is what we call the greatest problem humanity is facing now, which is biodiversity loss. An extensive number of species are being lost. In the case of Escoda today, the consequence of this is the disappearance of a great number of fish species, crabs, shrimps, etcetera; they have become locally extinct.)
Anticamara noted that Chinese ships anchored closely together blocking the sunlight needed by the corals, resulting in their gradual death and destruction.
He said the Chinese do not care about environmental sensitivities, noting their practice is “so destructive.”
“Sa ngayon iyong ginagawa nila ng mga militia na iyan. Pinapatauhan nila, binabantayan nila. Iyong pag-anchor noong lahat mga militia vessel na iyon, nakakawasak ng coral iyon kasi doon aangkla iyon sa coral, ‘di sira iyong immediate impact area noong anchor. Tapos, tanikala noong anchor habang nakalutang, siyempre iyong barko, umiikot iyan, kinakaladkad din iyong coral sa ilalim parang inaararo iyan, so damage na naman iyan,” he said.
(Right now, what those militia are doing is they're asserting themselves, they're monitoring. The anchoring of all those militia vessels, that damages the corals because they anchor onto them, causing immediate damage to the anchor's impact area. Then, the chain of the anchor, while floating, of course, the ship rotates, dragging the coral underneath as if plowing, so that's damage again.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)