Sen. Pimentel calls for calm amid fresh tensions in WPS

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Saturday called for calm amid the heightened aggression of China in the West Philippines Sea.

"Ang una kong panawagan ay kumalma ang lahat. Kalma lang lahat. Dapat ay hindi natin pataasin ang tensyon, kasi mataas na nga, tensyonado na nga yung lugar, eh (My first appeal is for all to be calm. Everyone should stay calm. We should not be adding up to the tension because the area is already full of tension)," Pimentel, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, said over radio DWIZ, April 10.

The senator issued the call amid China's refusal to heed the Philippines' demand for the recall of Chinese vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef and other parts of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

On Thursday, April 8, the Chinese Coast Guard deployed missile attack crafts to

chase a Filipino vessel that was ferrying members of the ABS-CBN News across the various reefs and shoals in the WPS.

Chinese vessels still scattered in WPS Dozens of Chinese military and fishing vessels were still dispersed in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) even after the government protested anew their apparent incursion in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bared yesterday, April 11.

At least 28 Chinese vessels were spotted by the military when it conducted a maritime patrol in the WPS at 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, AFP Chief of Staff.

Of these, Sobejana said six were identified as Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, 20 were fishing vessels, and two were maritime militia-operated vessels.

The Chinese Coast Guard vessels were positioned in Pagasa Island (two ships), Ayungin Shoal (one), and Bajo de Masinloc (three). Meanwhile, the fishing vessels were monitored in Pagasa Island (two vessels), Ayungin Shoal (10), and Bajo de Masinloc (eight).

The Pagasa (Thitu) Island, Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Reef), and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) are all located within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile EEZ.

Meanwhile, the AFP has yet to determine how many trawlers remained at the Julian Felipe Reef, which is also located in the WPS. Majority of the 220 vessels which massed near the reef on March 7 was found to have dispersed in other parts of the WPS and Kalayaan Island Group.

To reciprocate the swarming of the Chinese vessels, Sobejana said the Philippine Navy sent two of its patrol ships in the WPS. These were augmented by two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels and five Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels.

"They [Chinese vessels] could be further reduced because we sent our Navy ships already and we also have help coming from the Coast Guard and BFAR. However, most of these augmentation forces were still refueling," Sobejana stated.

The AFP Chief admitted that the lack of oil refueling station in the WPS poses a big challenge for the military in patrolling the country's vast waters.

This is the reason why Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana proposed the construction of a refueling station -- particularly in Pagasa Island in Kalayaan, Palawan -- so that the military's patrol ships will no longer have to travel as far back to Palawan mainland in case they run out of fuel.

"We need [a refueling station] to address the challenges in the logistics portion of our operations," Sobejana said.

Keep calm

Pimentel maintained that the foreign vessels are not prohibited from sailing within the country's EEZ. He, however, said that foreigners should not be benefitting from the resources from the waters in the EEZ since, according to international treaties, the Philippines has the sole right to these resources.

"Bawal nilang pakinabangan ang mga resources dyan, economically, /yong pagkakitaan nila kasi exclusive na 'yan para sa coastal state. Ang coastal state pagdating sa lugar na yan ay Pilipinas (They should not benefit from the resources there economically because they are exclusive to the coastal state, and the coastal state when it comes to that area, is the Philippines)," he said.

He said the government should conduct patrols to determine China's activities in the WPS, even as military and defense officials already verified that structures have already been built in some of the country's reefs.

"The mere fact na may barko ng bang bansa sa EEZ natin, eh hindi nman po ka-alarma alarma 'yon... Ang bawal lang na meron silang gawin doon lalo na kung economic exploitation na ng mga waters kasi sa atin dapat 'yon (The mere fact that there are vessels within our EEZ is not a cause for alarm. What's prohibited is for them to conduct any activities there especially if there is economic exploitation already because the resources should be ours)," Pimentel said.

MDT trigger

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has proposed that an armed attack on a Filipino civilian passenger vessel must also trigger the United States' obligations under a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

Locsin disclosed plans to pursue such amendment in the "trigger" mechanism of the defense pact between the Philippines and United States following the recent maritime incident in the West Philippine Sea.

At present, he noted that the US obligation under the MDT could be activated only by an attack on a Philippine "public vessel."

"China should worry more. Trip over the wire, it’s WW3. Will work to expand definition of trigger to include civilian passenger craft which is logical. It already includes cyber infrastructure which if monkeyed with, is tantamount to an attack on the Metropolitan Philippines," Locsin tweeted Saturday, April 9.

The alleged intimidation by the Chinese vessels is currently under investigation by Philippine authorities. The Department of Foreign Affairs also said it would raise the matter with China if proven to be true. The public has also been advised to coordinate with authorities any planned visit to the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea.

Under the MDT signed in 1951, the Philippines and the United States committed to come to the aid of the other in case of external armed attack in the Pacific.

Article V of the treaty stated "an armed attack on either of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the Island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific."

The United States recently affirmed its commitment to defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack against Filipino vessels in the South China Sea under the MDT. The latest statement was made after expressing concern over the unlawful presence of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea.

According to US State Department spokesman Ned Price, an armed attack against the Philippines armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger the US obligations under the MDT.

On Friday, Locsin admitted that a situation involving civilian vessel in the West Philippine Sea "opens a whole new area of interest."

He then made a pitch for the continued talks on the code of conduct in the South China Sea despite the coronavirus threat. He said concerned parties, including China, must "accept restraints" under the code to avoid any untoward incident in the region.

"I’m not being sarcastic. Seriously, what if Filipinos on a pleasure craft, one of many yachts out there, crosses an invisible line drawn by China in Philippine waters? What if they are fired upon or heaven forbid rammed—no, not that; those yachts cost millions of dollars," he said.

"If that happens, expect a strong protest from DFA for hurt of pleasure-seekers if not death. What else can we exact? Would China actually say, they are in our territory. But if one went to HK without a visa would it be right to shoot one? See, a whole new area of interest," he added.

Locsin also commented that it was not yet clear if the television crew was riding a passenger boat or chartered its own vessel. Regardless of the nature of the vessel, the foreign affairs chief maintained that there was no need to chase the local vessel sailing in the West Philippine Sea.

"What’s worrisome is that it seems—please verify—ABS-CBN crew weren’t in a boat they hired (inviting risk) but in a passenger boat. Now that’s a whole other banana; the state is sworn to protect the Philippine public. And you don’t give chase; you use your bullhorn to warn off," he said.