President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered to ”civilianize” the approach to the Ayungin Shoal, National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said Wednesday.
Malaya was asked if the Philippines should respond through the Philippine Navy, considering that the China Coast Guard and maritime militias that are blocking the area are under the Chinese military commission.
“That is a decision that has to be made by higher authorities because we want to keep the tension low in the WPS,” Malaya said in an interview on ANC.
“And there is an instruction from the President to civilianize the approach to Ayungin. So it’s going to be Coast Guard against Coast Guard, and the Navy is only in support,” he added.
The China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels have been conducting dangerous maneuvers and using water cannons against Philippine ships during resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) earlier said it was ready to deploy more vessels that will escort boats for resupply missions at Ayungin Shoal.
At least 43 diplomatic protests have been filed by the Philippines against China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea this year as of September 12, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
On February 6, a Chinese vessel directed a laser light at the PCG ship BRP Malapascua during a rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy.
On August 5, CCG ships not only trained water cannons at the Philippine vessels but also performed dangerous maneuvers to isolate and surround them, the PCG said.
The Philippine vessels were escorting ”indigenous boats” to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to military troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
On August 22, the PCG invoked international law and the country’s exclusive economic zone when it answered the radio challenges transmitted by its Chinese counterparts during the successful resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, based on a case filed by Manila, junked Beijing’s South China Sea claims, but China refused to acknowledge the ruling. — Joviland Rita/VBL, GMA Integrated News
