China’s hostility in West PH Sea heightens risk of escalation – AFP

In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a China Coast Guard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel, near Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island on Sunday.  (PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD VIA AP)

 MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned on Tuesday that the China Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia vessels’ coercive and aggressive maneuvers near Philippine-held features, including Pag-asa Island and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal)  are raising the risk of escalation.

In a press briefing, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the AFP has long warned that the illegal presence of Chinese vessels in the country’s maritime zones poses a continuous security threat.

“The AFP has raised the alarm years ago when we started monitoring the illegal presence of the PLA Navy, the CCG, and the maritime militia,” he said. “So long as the presence will remain there, the potential for escalation due to their coercive, aggressive actions will always be there,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad confirmed that a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel encountered “coercive, aggressive, and dangerous actions” by the CCG vessel near Sandy Cay, a sandbar three to four nautical miles from Pag-asa Island in the Kalayaan Island Group.

“Western Command is monitoring this situation. We have informed the National Maritime Council and higher headquarters of the latest developments on Pag-asa Island,” he said.

 Water cannon harassment continues

 Trinidad said another incident occurred on Monday near Bajo de Masinloc, where CCG vessels conducted a “show of water cannon force” during a Kadiwa program organized by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the PCG.

 The PCG also confirmed this earlier in a statement.

It said its vessels and BFAR boats were delivering fuel subsidies, food supplies and crushed ice to Filipino fishermen under the Kadiwa para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda (KBBM) program when Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels tried to disrupt the operation.

The Chinese ships then carried out dangerous maneuvers and staged a “show of water cannon force” near the Philippine flotilla.

“There was a show of a water cannon demonstration by the Chinese Coast Guard but no aggressive action was conducted against the BFAR and the Philippine Coast Guard ships,” Trinidad said.

He emphasized that the use of water cannons as weapons at sea is “unacceptable” and “dangerous.”

“Water cannons are used by ships out at sea to help fight fires, not to endanger lives,” Trinidad said.

“This is an unacceptable maritime practice by the Chinese Coast Guard to intimidate other claimant countries in the South China Sea.”

New barrier sighted at Scarborough Shoal

Trinidad also confirmed the sighting of barriers that had been installed at the mouth of Bajo de Masinloc during a recent maritime patrol by the Northern Luzon Command.

“In the latest MDA flight by Northern Luzon Naval Command, they noticed the barriers in front of Scarborough Shoal,” he said.

“We have informed the Philippine Coast Guard about this and the Navy in Northern Luzon, and the Philippine Coast Guard plus BFAR are coordinating their appropriate response.”

He added that reports of underwater structures inside the shoal are being verified.

“We have received reports of certain structures underwater which we are verifying,” he said. “They could be remnants of old structures… but we are checking everything.”

Contingency plans in place

Trinidad assured the public that the AFP has contingency plans if the situation worsens.

“The AFP thrives on plans. We have contingency plans for almost any eventuality,” he said.

“Everything has been factored in, and we could respond appropriately.”

He confirmed that Acero-class gunboats are already deployed around Pag-asa Island but refused to discuss operational details.

“We do not speculate on possible actions of the adversary,” he said. “All our actions are very calculated.”

 Trinidad said the AFP coordinates closely with the National Maritime Council and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on policy directions involving territorial defense.

 “For physical encroachment into our maritime domain, we have our patrol plans by sea and by air,” he said.

“We coordinate with other government agencies, particularly the Coast Guard and BFAR.”

‘Gray zone’ tactics evolving

Trinidad said China continues to test the Philippines’ resolve through “gray zone operations,” coercive activities designed to avoid open conflict.

“They were called gray zone precisely because they operate on the gray area between legal and illegal,” he said. “All their actions are designed to force us to commit the first mistake.”

Despite provocation, Trinidad said the AFP will act with restraint but firmness.

 “All our actions are very calculated,” he said. /gsg