MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — Calling it “propaganda,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday denied a report stating that China Coast Guard (CCG) managed to drive away a Philippine Navy gunboat in the Scarborough Shoal.
CCG said it drove away the Navy gunboat in the shoal located in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Tuesday, according to Chinese mouthpiece Global Times.
Brawner later confirmed that a Navy ship was conducting a maritime patrol in the area around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
He also noted that the ship was challenged by a CCG vessel, but it went on to fulfill its mission.
“We had a Navy ship doing maritime patrol in the area,” Brawner told reporters in a phone interview. “Our Navy ship still continued on with its maritime patrol mission.”
“Hindi nga lumihis eh, tuloy-tuloy lang, hindi siya huminto,” he said of the vessel. (It did not change its direction; it just went on and it did not even stop.)
Propaganda
Brawner was firm on his earlier assertion that China’s version of events is just propaganda.
“That’s Chinese propaganda; it’s not true,” Brawner earlier said when asked for his comment on CCG’s claims.
“Hindi siya na-drive away, so ang stand pa rin natin is propaganda pa rin ng China ‘yun,” he later stressed in a later phone interview.
(The vessel was not driven away, so our stand remains that it is Chinese propaganda.)
Meanwhile, maritime security expert Prof. Jay Batongbacal had this to say on China’s claim: “They’re probably creating stories for their domestic audience or to justify some other actions.”
No right to drive PH Navy away
Batongbacal also stressed that China has no right to drive Philippine vessels away from the shoal locally known as Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc.
“Scarborough Shoal remains to be part of the Philippine territory; the waters around remains to be part of our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and continental shelf,” Batongbacal told reporters in an online interview.
“It is subject to high seas freedom of all states, including the Philippines and its Navy,” he added.
China’s actions are based on its assertion that it has jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea, including the WPS, through its so-called ten-dash line.
In 2013, the then nine-dash line was challenged by the Philippines before the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
However, the 2016 Arbitral Award effectively dismissed the sweeping demarcation.
RELATED STORIES
PCG: ‘Strategic deployment’ at Scarborough enforced under BBM admin
After President’s order, PCG removes China’s floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal
Senate OKs resolution telling DFA to bring to UN issue on China’s incursions in WPS