22-6-2024 (MANILA) The National Maritime Council of the Philippines has submitted a policy recommendation to the Office of the President following the aggressive actions of the Chinese Coast Guard against government forces during a humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. The incident has raised concerns over the escalating tensions in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who is also the chairman of the Maritime Council, the recommendations include continuing and publicizing the schedule of resupply missions. “The council recognizes that a peaceful, stable, and prosperous West Philippine Sea and South China Sea is still a distant reality. As a result of today’s meeting, the council agreed on policy recommendations for the president’s consideration,” said Bersamin.
“Among these recommendations is the announcement of the rotation and reprovision missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, which shall remain routine and will be scheduled regularly,” he added, signaling the government’s determination to maintain its presence in the contested area.
Bersamin also emphasized that the policies and strategies must remain anchored in promoting national interest. Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser for Maritime Affairs Sec. Andres Centino expressed concern over the incident, stating, “That is the reason why the National Maritime Council was convened this afternoon. This is the second instance that the National Maritime Council has convened.”
Despite the Chinese Coast Guard’s actions, Centino assured that the morale of the Filipino soldiers remains high. “We saw that the morale of our troops is high, and we ensured that our soldiers were recognized and acknowledged for their behavior in handling the incident that happened last Monday,” he said.
Centino acknowledged the possibility of similar incidents occurring again between the Chinese Coast Guard and Filipino soldiers, stressing, “That is always a consideration, and we will be prepared for that.”
Regarding the president’s reaction, Centino stated, “The president has always been composed. He immediately asked the concerned cabinet secretaries to discuss the matter with him, which is also the reason why we convened the National Maritime Council today.”
The government is not currently considering escalating the incident to a higher international body, as Bersamin expressed optimism for a resolution, stating, “That’s not yet under consideration because we believe this matter can be resolved very soon, and if China wants to work with us, we can work with China.”
Centino clarified that only one soldier was injured during the incident and that invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States has not been discussed yet.
Bersamin also stated that the government does not consider the incident an armed attack by China, saying, “This was probably a misunderstanding or an accident; we are not yet ready to classify this as an armed attack.”
