The United States, Japan, and the European Union on Sunday denounced Chinese actions to block a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
“The US stands with the Philippines and partners in vehemently condemning the PRC’s repeated illegal and dangerous actions against Philippine vessels, including disrupting the Philippine resupply mission to Sierra Madre today,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in a post on X.
“PRC aggression undermines regional stability in defiance of a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific,” she added.
“Gravely concerned about repeated dangerous actions by CCG vessels against PH vessels. Japan stands with the Philippines in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko added in a post on X.
“Japan opposes actions that undermine the peace and stability in SCS (South China Sea),” the diplomat added.
In a separate post on X, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron said: “Another deeply troubling incident today, water cannons used again. UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanisms maintain the rule of law. The 2016 UNCLOS Tribunal Award is a valuable framework for peaceful resolution. Water cannons and dangerous sea maneuvers aren’t a legitimate alternative.”
The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday said the China Coast Guard rammed and water cannoned Philippine vessels on a regular rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
The PCG said its own vessel BRP Cabra, and resupply boats Unaizah Mae 1 (UM 1) and M/L Kalayaan were water cannoned by the Chinese vessel.
M/L Kalayaan suffered from serious engine damage as a result and had to be towed back to Ulugan Bay, Palawan by the PCG vessel BRP Sindangan, it added.
The UM 1 meanwhile was rammed by CCG, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said.
Despite this, the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said UM1 was able to successfully reach BRP Sierra Madre to proceed with the resupply.
The NTF-WPS condemned the “reckless and dangerous harassment at close range” of Chinese vessels once again against Philippine civilian supply vessels conducting a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
It denounced China’s latest attack, admitting that it has put into question and “significant doubt” the sincerity of China’s calls for peaceful dialogue.
Ayungin Shoal is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a claim upheld by the Permanent Court of Arbitration decision in 2016.
However, China said it does not accept or recognize the arbitral award from 2016, which dismissed as baseless Beijing’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, condemned Chinese actions against three vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday.
“The attack on the Datu Sanday, Datu Bankaw, and Datu Tamblot, which were on a vital humanitarian and support mission, is not only a blatant disregard for international norms but also a direct challenge to the sovereignty and rights of the Philippines,” Romualdez said.
“The use of water cannons and long-range acoustic devices against our vessels, causing significant damage and distress to our crew, is unacceptable and unjustifiable.
“These actions by the China Coast Guard, in preventing our vessels from conducting a peaceful resupply mission to Filipino fishermen near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), demonstrate a brazen disrespect for the rule of law and established international agreements.
“It is imperative to remind the international community that Bajo de Masinloc lies within the Philippines’ 370-km exclusive economic zone. The 2016 arbitral ruling, which China continues to ignore, invalidated its expansive claims over the South China Sea, including areas within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. This ruling clarified that Filipinos have traditional fishing rights in the waters of Bajo de Masinloc, protected by international law,” he added.
The acts of intimidation and harassment against Filipino fishers, who depend on these waters for their livelihood, are not only a violation of their rights but also an affront to human dignity, Romualdez said.
“We demand that Beijing take immediate and concrete actions to cease these aggressive activities and uphold the principles of international law. The Philippines stands firm in its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea. We will not be intimidated nor will we stand down in the face of these unwarranted and illegal actions,” he said.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri urged President Marcos to send the current Chinese ambassador home for not doing something to address the continued attacks by his government on the Filipino people.
“We strongly urge the Chinese government to respect international law, exercise restraint, and cease all actions that jeopardize the peace and security of the region,” he said.
Senator JV Ejercito said the Philippines has consistently advocated for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to disputes, and “we call on all parties involved to engage in meaningful dialogue to address the root causes of these incidents.”
He cited the need to pursue avenues that promote cooperation, understanding, and respect for each other’s rights in the pursuit of a stable and secure region.
Ejercito also assailed the actions of the CCG, calling them a violation of human rights and the laws of the sea. They also showed disrespect to the sovereignty of the Philippines, he said.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva acknowledged that the Philippines faced a much more powerful country in the face-off over the West Philippine Sea, but noted that David had defeated Goliath.
“Might does not give China the right to fire water cannons at our vessels, make dangerous maneuvers or block humanitarian missions,” Villanueva said.
He said China has to adhere to international laws, such as the UNCLOS.
“It must stop encroaching into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” he added.
Regardless of the number of their firearms and the huge size of their ships, he said nothing can change the fact that the territory China has been claiming belongs to the Philippines.
Also on Sunday, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said China has no right to reject a resolution of the House of Representatives condemning Beijing’s “illegal” activities in the West Philippine Sea.
“It is our prerogative to express our collective sense on continued Chinese intrusion and encroachment on our maritime waters, and their persistent harassment and bullying of our navy, coast guard and fishermen. No country can deny us that,” he said.
Rodriguez was commenting on a Chinese foreign ministry statement criticizing Resolution 1494, which the House adopted last Wednesday.
The resolution condemns China’s “illegal actions” in the WPS and urges the government “to assert and protect the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.”
Rodriguez said based on the arbitral court ruling, China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, including the WPS, have no legal basis.
“They cannot insist on owning areas that are inside our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), like Ayungin Shoal and Recto Bank in Palawan, and Scarborough or Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc off Zambales and Pangasinan, which China seized in 2012,” he said.
He said Beijing is standing firm “on this baseless narrative on the strength of might and not of reason.”
He added that China should not call for “negotiations and consultations” to resolve maritime disputes “because we already tried those modes during the previous administration but they failed.”
“We should not negotiate with a frenemy that is frequently intruding in our backyard, and repeatedly harassing and bullying us,” the Mindanao lawmaker said.