PH, US hold drills in WPS after Chinese harassment of Filipino fishers
MANILA, Philippines — Philippines and US forces conducted their 10th bilateral maritime drills Monday in the West Philippine Sea, days after Chinese vessels injured three Filipino fisherfolk near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday that the maritime cooperative activity (MCA) was held west of Zambales, within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It followed a similar exercise conducted Dec. 9–10.
READ: PH Air Force, US Pacific Air Forces hold joint drills in Pampanga, Cebu
The Philippines deployed the frigate BRP Miguel Malvar and a mix of aircraft, including three A-29B Super Tucano planes, three FA-50 fighter jets and a search-and-rescue helicopter. The US contributed the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the drills included communications checks, maritime domain awareness reporting, maneuvering exercises, simulated raids, low-altitude fly-bys and a visit, board, search and seizure drill conducted by Philippine naval commandos aboard the Miguel Malvar.
“The successful conduct of the 10th Bilateral MCA underscores the shared commitment of the Philippines and the United States to uphold a rules-based Indo-Pacific region in accordance with international law,” the AFP said in a statement.
READ: https://www.inquirer.net/462948/chinese-forces-harass-ph-fishing-vessels-3-injured/
The exercises came days after China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels harassed about 20 Filipino fishing boats near Escoda Shoal on Dec. 12. The vessels used water cannons and aggressive maneuvers that injured three fishermen and damaged two boats.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commo. Jay Tarriela earlier said this was not the first time Filipino fishermen were targeted by water cannons, but it was the first time the boats were directly hit.
READ: PH again files protest vs Chinese ‘aggression’
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, waters in the western portion of the country’s 370-kilometer EEZ. Beijing continues to ignore a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that nullified its claims and upheld Manila’s sovereign rights over these waters.
The National Maritime Council on Monday described the harassment as a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of small-scale fishers. US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson likewise condemned the actions, calling water cannoning and cutting of anchor lines against Filipino fishers “illegal” and dangerous. /mr
