MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines summoned on Thursday the Chinese embassy in Manila and lodged a diplomatic protest against the harassment of a Department of Energy (DOE) research vessel by two Chinese navy gunboats off the disputed Spratly islands on Wednesday, sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
President Aquino said the Philippines has already brought the matter up with the Chinese embassy, and an expert on the Spratly islands is also headed to Beijing to discuss the matter.
“There is also a Coast Guard vessel that will be in the area to assist this energy contracted survey ship to finish its job. The Coast Guard ship will ensure that our rights are protected by making sure that this survey ship is granted authority by our government to finish its job,” Aquino said in an interview in Bacolod.
A DFA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The STAR that Bai Tian, charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy, was summoned by the DFA on Thursday afternoon.
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao is in China and Bai represented the embassy.
Another official said DFA Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio handed the note verbale to the embassy official protesting the harassment by the Chinese Navy gunboats.
“That was done yesterday by Undersecretary Basilio. She handed the note verbale to the embassy’s charge d’affaires,” the official told The STAR.
The DFA officials explained that the incident occurred within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ), specifically 80 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine archipelagic baseline of Palawan.
“The area of the incident is outside the Spratlys group of islands. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) only accords 12 nautical miles as the maximum of any country’s territorial waters,” the official stressed.
The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.
UNCLOS came into force in 1994, a year after Guyana became the 60th state to sign the treaty. To date, 161 countries and the European Community have joined the Convention. However, it is uncertain as to what extent the Convention codifies customary international law.
The Philippine government sought China’s explanation on the incident.
“The Chinese diplomat assured Undersecretary Basilio that he will report and clarify the information given to him by the DFA,” the official said.
China: We have sovereignty over disputed area
The Chinese embassy confirmed that they were summoned by the DFA.
Sun Yi, deputy chief of political section and embassy spokesman, said Beijing has been informed about the diplomatic protest.
“We have reported to the capital. The communication between our two sides is always there,” Sun said in an interview.
When asked about action taken by the Chinese government on the Philippines’ diplomatic protest, Sun said, “That takes time as far as I know.”
“I don’t see anything yet,” he added.
China has called for peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes in the South China Sea following complaints by the Philippines that Chinese patrol boats harassed a Filipino marine research vessel in a disputed area in the South China Sea.
Sun, however, insisted that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha islands and the Spratly Islands.
“What I want to point out is that, ever since ancient times, China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters. China has been consistently sticking to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and committed to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Chinese side maintains that the related disputes should be resolved through peaceful negotiations,” he said.
The Code of Conduct was entered into by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to reduce tensions, peacefully resolve claims over the South China Sea and improve the general political climate in the disputed islands.
Close call
Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippine government would seek an explanation from China on the incident.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Del Rosario said the “encounter” occurred at around 9:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Reed Bank, 250 kilometers west of Palawan and well within Philippine territory.
He said the presence of the two Chinese boats led the Philippine ship to change direction.
“That is our territory, we ascertain that this is within our territory,” Del Rosario said, stressing that there was no connection between the incident at Reed Bank and any other issues with China, including the Philippine government’s request for clemency for overseas Filipino workers on death row.
“I don’t know where that information is coming from but from where I sit, I don’t see a connection. We are still in the process of seeking clemency for people who receive capital punishment, that is the policy of this government… to the very last minute, it has nothing to do with anything else,” he noted.
Armed Forces Western Command commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban earlier confirmed that the Air Force deployed bombers and an Islander reconnaissance aircraft while the Navy dispatched three vessels to intercept the two Chinese vessels.
“But they did not catch the Chinese vessels that already left when the planes arrived. The DOE ship just resumed their research in the area,” Sabban said.
Sabban said two white Chinese gunboats with the markings No. 71 and No. 75 tried to drive away the DOE research vessel from Reed Bank.
The Navy and the Air Force reported that the two Chinese vessels conducted a side-by-side maneuver, virtually “sandwiching” the DOE research vessel, prompting its alarmed personnel to radio for help.
He said Navy gunboats were deployed to secure the DOE research vessel M/V Venture.
Reed Bank is within the country’s 320-kilometer exclusive economic zone, but the area is also being claimed by China and Vietnam.
Phl lacks military capability
Maj. Neil Anthony Estrella, spokesman of the Armed Forces-Western Command, said the Department of National Defense (DND) and the national headquarters have taken the lead in the investigation of the incident, although the Wescom has been collating information on the reported harassment.
Sabban, however, admitted that the military lacks modernized equipment to fight off foreign vessels that try to poach in waters around the islands.
He said military personnel based in Palawan to conduct security operations in the Kalaayan Island Group (KIG) are doing their best to protect the country’s territories despite lack of efficient resources and equipment.
“We know that what we have is a token force to validate our claim to the (Kalayaan) islands. We also know we can’t protect the islands but we are ready to fight to the last Army or Marine (to protect our territories),” Sabban said in a security briefing given to Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada who visited Palawan yesterday.
In the same briefing, Sabban also noted the need to further improve the Pag-Asa Island Development, repair of the Rancudo Air Field as well as the development of the Lawag and Lawak Islands to bolster the country’s territorial defense strategy.
Sabban also batted for the need to improve air and naval assets in these islands.
Based on the security briefing, AFP’s strength is nothing compared to the military assets set up by other claimants – China, Vietnam, and Malaysia – which have built new buildings and set up facilities in the respective islands that they have “occupied.”
China continuously fortifies its position in the Panganiban reef or the Mischief Reef, Wescom officials said in a briefing.
The Spratly Islands are part of the KIG that is being claimed by the Philippines, which is also being claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Initial exploration of the Reed Bank by the DOE revealed that the area contains about 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 440 million barrels of oil.
“(The situation) is really deplorable on our part that other countries have improved and ours have not even improved but are deteriorating already,” Commodore Edgardo Tamayo, chief of the Naval Forces of Wescom said.
Tamayo shared Sabban’s concern over the issue.
“It’s disastrous if we antagonize other claimants but we need to show that we are not abandoning the islands,” said Tamayo, who like other military officials assessed the potential goldmine once fuel deposits are developed in the area.
Sabban said the issue should be addressed by the combined cooperation of the AFP, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the DFA.
“There should be efforts to further support the existence of the civilian government,” said Sabban in a bid to give a semblance that this is not a mere security issue.
The top officials also expressed concern over the poaching and illegal fishing in the islands, which if left unchecked would destroy massive natural resources.
Surprised over how the military lacked enough resources to protect the KIG, Estrada vowed to look into ways Congress can help increase the AFP’s budget for modernization, which was pegged at P5 billion for this year.
Navy chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama said the Philippine Navy has augmented their patrol ships under the operational control of Sabban, although he declined to give the exact number of vessels deployed.
Asked about the possible repercussions of the deployment, Pama maintained that whether there was an incident or not the Navy is duty-bound to conduct sovereignty patrols in the area. – Aurea Calica, Christina Mendez, Jaime Laude, AP - By Pia Lee-Brago
