[PHOTO
- A photo taken by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in May 2011
shows a Chinese salvage and research ship is shown anchored in disputed South
China Sea waters near the major Philippine island of Palawan. China on Thursday
rejected Philippine allegations of recent illegal military incursions into
Manila's territorial waters. (AFP/HO)]
MANILA,
JUNE 4, 2011 (STAR)
China yesterday rejected allegations of recent illegal military
incursions into Philippine territorial waters.
"The reported 'incursion of Chinese ships' is not true," the Chinese embassy
in Manila through spokesperson Michelle Zhao said in a statement.
Zhao said Beijing is merely being consistent on the issue.
"China holds a clear and consistent position on the South China Sea issue,"
she said.
The Philippine government alleged Chinese naval vessels had unloaded building
materials and installed a number of posts and a buoy last month near the
Iroquois Reef and Amy Douglas Bank, both of which are within the Philippine
territory near the Spratlys.
However the Chinese embassy gave a different account.
"It's only China's marine research ship conducting normal maritime research
activities on the South China Sea," Zhao said.
The Chinese government earlier reiterated that there is nothing to claim on
Spratly Islands, which they call the Nansha, since it is rightfully theirs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it had formally protested to the
Chinese mission over recent activity in the disputed waters of the South China
Sea and Chinese plans to anchor an oil rig there next month.
President Aquino said the government could only lodge a protest against China
in asserting its claims over the oil-rich Spratlys.
Even without military might, the Philippines – or any other country for that
matter – is no match against giant China, particularly when it comes to
asserting its claims on the disputed oil-rich Spratly Islands, Aquino said.
Aquino conceded late Wednesday that even in boxing, a sport where Filipinos
excel, "we are no match against them (China) even on one-on-one."
"We are only 95 million (Filipinos) but there are 1.5 billion (Chinese),"
Aquino remarked in jest in trying to explain to reporters here the realities of
asserting Philippine claims on the oil-rich island chains.
Aquino said any statements on the claims would always be counterproductive as
it would not help the long-standing problem among claimant-nations in the
Spratlys.
"Tensions will just increase if we engage in a verbal jostle. If they
(Chinese government) lose face, how will they compromise?" he asked.
"So, in our meetings with our fellow claimants, we say we discuss this as a
group. There has to be centrality," he said.
Aquino said the best option to assert claims would be through diplomacy.
Aquino though noted that no amount of diplomatic efforts would stop the
Chinese from intruding in the Spratlys.
Coming up with a central position on the South China Sea dispute among the
claimant-countries within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
will be the best way to deal with a superpower like China, Aquino said.
The DFA on Wednesday summoned Beijing's charge d'affaires in Manila Bai Tian
to protest the intrusion of Chinese surveillance vessels into the West
Philippine Sea.
The Chinese vessels were reportedly unloading building materials and also
placed a buoy in waters inside Philippine territory.
The Philippines earlier lodged a diplomatic protest against Beijing over a
March 2 incident in Reed Bank, which is within Philippine territory, where two
Chinese patrol boats reportedly harassed a local exploration vessel.
While remaining optimistic that a peaceful resolution can be achieved, Aquino
said the Philippines is preparing to file a report before the United Nations on
some "six to seven instances" of Chinese intrusion or provocative actions in the
West Philippine Sea.
"We are completing the data. We will present it to them (China) and then
bring these to the appropriate body, which most of the time is the United
Nations," Aquino said.
During his meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guangjie two weeks
ago, Aquino already warned that continued provocative actions in the area could
trigger an arms race in the region.
'Multilateral dialogue'
Aquino and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei agreed Wednesday to adopt a
"multilateral dialogue" policy among claimant-countries in the Spratlys.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma told
Manila-based reporters in a briefing that the two heads of state wanted all
stakeholders to "engage in a multilateral dialogue" along with fellow claimants
China, Vietnam and Malaysia.
"The principal objective is peace and stability in the region. There should
be peaceful cooperation and dialogue. There are many stakeholders, and they are
all committed to share those goals," Coloma said.
Coloma, who was with the Philippine delegation, quoted the Sultan as saying
"it's best to have good relations with China," but would not want to interpret
it any other way, except to say: "The two leaders emphasized the need for a
peaceful solution to the (Spratlys) issue."
Coloma said Aquino – whose two-day official visit here ends today – is
looking forward to seeing the Brunei leader when the ASEAN Summit closes in
Bali, Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is held in
Hawaii in November.
The President reiterated earlier the need for a Code of Conduct among
claimant-countries in the Spratlys so that jurisdictional matters will be
defined clearly, especially in the wake of reports China had built permanent
structures and garrisons in the disputed reefs.
The rationale behind the Code of Conduct is to lessen such incidents of
intrusion and avoid conflicts.
Likewise, Aquino hinted the reported sighting of fighter jets buzzing a
Philippine Air Force patrol plane in the area might not result in a diplomatic
protest on the basis that Philippine authorities could not clearly establish if
it really was Chinese aircraft.
'A serious concern'
Malacañang said the sightings of Chinese Navy vessels erecting posts at the
West Philippine Sea were a serious cause for concern and would like to
diplomatically resolve the issue in favor of the Philippines.
"You're speaking of western Palawan, you're not speaking of the Spratlys.
Western Palawan is part of our territory, so that's not a disputed area,"
presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
Lacierda though was careful not to say China had acted in bad faith as the
sightings of the Chinese vessels came after Chinese Defense Minister Liang came
to Manila and met with President Aquino.
"We had a meeting (Wednesday) on China and the agreement was that the
Department of Foreign Affairs will be taking the lead role in explaining the
situation regarding China," Lacierda said.
"The Philippines asked China to explain what they've been doing there. If you
notice, they were supposed to put in place an oil rig, so they were asked
specifically what area are you going to place them. But certainly, it's a cause
for concern for us. And that's the reason why the deputy chief of mission (of
the Chinese embassy) was summoned to the DFA," Lacierda told a press briefing in
Malacañang.
Lacierda cited the Declaration of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea
as basis for asking China to explain its actions in Philippine waters.
China and the ASEAN have yet to adopt a legally binding code as China wants
to resolve the Spratlys issue bilaterally with each claimant-country as against
the position of the Philippines to allow ASEAN as a whole to be a party,
including non-claimants.
Undertakings
On the other hand, defense and military establishments are coming up with a
new strategy that would address the country's territorial defense due to the
unfolding security development in the South China Sea.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said they would be refocusing efforts to
revive all its external defense undertakings.
Over the years, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) temporarily shelved
all its external defenses to deal with internal security threats like the
communist rebels and the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group.
"Right now we are trying to mix both ISO (internal security operations) and
territorial defense in our planning," Gazmin said.
While the ISO has been the top priority of the military in its previous
undertakings, the developments in the Philippine-declared territory in the South
China Sea also calls for an urgent need to address the concerns, he said.
"Because of the increased incursions and violations of our territorial waters
(by foreign forces), we have to take a serious look into external defense or
territorial defense," Gazmin stressed.
Gazmin referred to the latest incursion of Chinese missile-firing
surveillance vessels within Palawan Sea with construction materials like steel
posts, specifically at the Amy Douglas Shoal last May 21 and May 24.
Amy Douglas Shoal is located less than 100 nautical miles from mainland
Palawan and near Lawak and Patag Islands, which the military leadership wanted
to develop as a prime tourist spot.
Gazmin though admitted that the country's military is no match to a
superpower like China.
However, Gazmin pointed out that the Philippines, being a sovereign nation,
must have at least a credible and respectable force to safeguard and maintain
her territorial integrity.
AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said the military is planning to set up a
coast watch system in the western seaboard in the next two to three years to
monitor and secure the country's maritime borders and natural resources. –
Delon Porcalla, Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, Alexis Romero,
Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero
FROM MALAYA BUSINESS INSIGHTS
China fired at Filipino fishers
Frigate's action didn't even merit a peep from foreign office BY TESSA
JAMANDRE -VERA Files
"This
is Chinese Warship 560 (photo at left). You are in the China territory.
Leave the area immediately."
Upon hearing this warning through a marine band radio, three Philippine boats
fishing in Quirino, or Jackson atoll, a Philippine-claimed islet off Palawan in
the disputed Spratly Islands, scampered away.
But the Chinese warship still fired three shots at the vessels F/V Jaime DLS,
F/V Mama Lydia DLS and F/V Maricris 12. The Philippine Nay later identified the
Chinese warship as Dongguan, a Jianghu-V Class missile frigate.
The incident in the South China Sea happened on Feb. 25—before March when the
Philippine-commissioned seismic vessel was reportedly harassed in Reed Bank in
western Palawan and before the Chinese vessels laid steel posts and a buoy in
May in the Amy Douglas (Iroquois) Bank southwest of Reed Bank which Manila said
is within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Yet while the Philippine government protested the March and May incidents,
one by note verbale another verbally, it did no such thing about the February
incident.
Jackson Atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that has closely spaced islands on
it encircling a lagoon. It is a rich fishing ground within Palawan's
200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and belongs to the Kalayaan Island
Group (KIG) which under Philippine law is part of the country's regime of
islands.
A military report seen by VERA Files said that on Feb. 25, while anchored at
Jackson Atoll, the three Philippine fishing boats were approached by the Chinese
warship, which introduced itself through a marine band radio and demanded that
the Filipino fishermen leave at once.
[PHOTO - China fired at Filipino fishermen in Jackson atoll]
F/V Maricris 12, however, experienced trouble removing its anchor, and its
captain, Russel de la Cruz, pleaded with the Chinese warship, also through a
marine band radio to "please wait for a while."
"However, the Chinese warship repeatedly answered, 'I will shoot you.' Then,
De la Cruz heard three consecutive gunshots and saw the projectiles hit the
surface of the water 0.3 nautical miles away from the position of F/V Maricris,"
the military report said.
F/V Maricris 12 had to cut its anchor lines in order to flee from what it
sensed was imminent danger.
The gunshots were also heard by F/V Jaime DLS, which reported the incident by
radio to the Philippine Navy detachment on Lawak Island which, in turn, relayed
it to the Naval Station on Pag-Asa island until it reached the Naval Forces West
headquarters in Palawan.
The three beleaguered fishing vessels proceeded to the Philippine-occupied
Lawak where they sought refuge for two days. The Chinese warship was later
sighted southeast of Lawak toward Patag Island, also held by the Philippines.
According to the military report, when F/V Maricris 12 returned to Jackson
atoll on Feb. 28 to retrieve its anchor, it sighted three Chinese fishing
vessels colored blue, red and green, exploiting the marine resources in the
area.
The oil-rich Spratlys chain in the South China Sea is being claimed in part
by the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei and wholly by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Of the more or less 160 islands, Vietnam occuppies 25 islands; China, 12; the
Philippines, nine; Malaysia, five, and Taiwan, one. Brunei does not occupy a
single geographical feaure but has established a fishing zone that overlaps a
southern reef.
Besides the recent incidents at Jackson Atoll, Reed Bank and Amy Douglas
Bank, a Chinese marine vessel with a flat bed was sighted in Abad Santos or
Bombay shoal on May 6, and the the Chinese Marine Surveillance ship 75 and
Salvage/research Ship 707 were spotted steaming toward Southern Bank on May 21.
On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned the charge d'affaires
of the Chinese Embassy in Manila to seek clarification on the recent sightings
of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People's Liberation Army
Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank.
The Philippine Navy, through the fishermen, had recovered steel posts with
Chinese markings that were put up in the area.
The Chinese vessels were first sighted by fishermen on May 24 and reported to
the Philippine Navy the following day.
After receiving the report on May 26, the Navy headquarters in Manila ordered
a ship deployed to the area to verify the sighting. Bad weather, however,
hampered the immediate deployment of the ship to Amy Douglas.
By May 29, the Chinese vessels were no longer in the area, the posts had been
dismantled and turned over to the Navy, and the buoy was no longer there.
The diplomatic protest seen by VERA Files raised four points to prove that
Reed Bank is not part of the disputed area by projecting 85 nautical miles from
the basepoint in the northern part of Palawan and not from the KIG. China
questioned this during meetings with the Philippines, but did not reply in a
diplomatic note.
***
VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at
current issues. Vera is Latin for "true."
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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