But insists China’s vessel used military-grade laser vs. PH patrol in WPS
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the Philippines will not invoke the country’s Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States after a laser-pointing incident in the West Philippine Sea by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel, saying it will only intensify tensions with Beijing.
Mr. Marcos, however, accused China of using military-grade laser against a Philippine Coast Guard vessel off Ayungin Shoal on Feb. 6, refuting claims of the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines that PBBM:..it was an ordinary green-light pointer that can be bought online and used in a classroom.
“If we activate that, what we are doing is escalating, intensifying the tensions in the area and I think that would be counterproductive,” the commander-in-chief said in a media interview after attending the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming in Baguio City yesterday.
“Besides, despite the fact that it was a military-grade laser that was pointed at our Coast Guard, I do not think that that is sufficient for it to trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty,” he added.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, who was earlier summoned by Mr. Marcos over the laser-pointing incident, said the laser used by the Chinese Coast Guard was an ordinary one used to detect distance and speed.
“It was not a military-grade laser… Of course we have no intention to harm any person,” Huang said.
Prior to Mr. Marcos’ remarks Saturday, the PCG and the Department of Foreign Affairs rejected Huang’s version of the incident.
Mr. Marcos said he reminded Huang that laser-pointing is not something that close friends will do to each other.
“I said that the laser-pointing incident was only a part of what we are seeing as intensifying or escalating of the actions of the militia– the marine militia of China, the coast guard of China, and the navy of China. Actually I said we have to find a way around this because if we are such close friends such as China and the Philippines, these are not the kind of incidents that we should be talking about between the President and the Ambassador to the Philippines from China,” the President said.
“And I reminded him that this was not what we agreed upon with President Xi (Jinping) when I visited him in Beijing. So we are hoping that we can find a better way rather than these incursions into our maritime territory and the rather aggressive acts that we have been seeing in the past few weeks and months,” Mr. Marcos added.
He said the Philippines is “in constant contact with our treaty partners, not only with the United States but also our ASEAN partners and our partners here in Asia.”
“That I think is the better recourse rather than going directly to the Mutual Defense Treaty, which again, I am very concerned would provoke the tensions rather than cool the tensions down,” the President said.
In his speech during the PMA homecoming, the President said the country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that go against its ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the Philippines, the region, and the world.
“This country will not lose one inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and with international law,” Mr. Marcos said.
The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China over the laser-pointing incident on Feb. 6.
Some countries, including the United States, Japan, Germany, Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom and Australia, have raised serious concerns over the laser-pointing issue.