AFP: China doesn’t scare us
TARLAC CITY, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is ready for consequences amid China’s warning over the Philippines’ supposed provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
The military high command also vowed that they would not bow to terror.
“We will be ready… the fact that we pursued with our case that means that we’ll be prepared to suffer any consequences of that,” AFP Chief General Emmanuel Bautista told reporters on Tuesday.
Last Saturday, a Philippine civilian ship delivered supplies and fresh troops to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal). It successfully evaded the Chinese blockade. The move came a day before the Philippines filed a case against China at an international court.
China claims Ayungin Shoal, a resource-rich area located 105 nautical miles off Rizal, Palawan and is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China claims most of the West Philippine Sea as its own.
“We filed an arbitration case. We should be prepared. Hindi naman pwede na we will bow to terror, ’di ba? Gusto nyo ba yun we will bow to terror, na ’pag tinakot tayo hindi na natin gagawin? We have to assert our rights, ’di ba?” Bautista said.
“We are not even sending our armed navy ships there, we even sent civilian ships to resupply,” he added.
China accused the Philippines that this was a provocative act, saying that carrying out the provisions with members on the media a day before it was seeking arbitration, was deliberately trying to “illegally” occupy the area and trouble in the South China Sea.
“The Philippine side will certainly face consequences for its provocative actions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.
“We will continue, we will assert our sovereignty in that place,” Bautista said.
Bringing journalists part of the strategy
Selected media members of major media networks and foreign correspondents were invited to witness the rotation of troops last Saturday. Bautista admitted that this was part of the strategy.
“Please understand that we are executing a strategy. These are all part of it,” Bautista said but refused to elaborate further.
The military previously prohibited the media of going to Ayungin because it might spark tensions.
He clarified, however, that there was no ulterior motive behind the timing of the resupply, which was on the eve of the filing of the “memorial.”
“On the contrary it was very much delayed already, ’di ba? November pa sila run. Yung resupply natin nung March 9 hinarang nila hindi natin naresupply,” Bautista said.
On March 9, the Philippines made an attempt to bring supply and fresh troops in Ayungin Shoal but was blocked by the Chinese.
Bautista said that they would stand on their ground.
“We will continue to resupply our people there. We will maintain our people in Ayungin,” he said.
The Filipino presence in Ayungin maintained through BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty, decades-old ship that was run aground in 1999.
“What is provocative there, we just wanted to resupply our people, using civilian ships, sila yung provocative dun, sila yung nanghaharang with coast guard vessels,” he said
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