FILE – A Chinese coast guard ship, left, with a Chinese militia vessel, right, blocks Philippine coast guard ship, BRP Sindangan as it tried to head towards Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea during rotation and resupply mission on Oct. 4, 2023. A Chinese coast guard ship and one of its militia vessels separately bumped a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat Sunday, Oct. 22 off a disputed shoal, Philippine officials said. (AP Photo/Joeal Calupitan, File)
MANILA, Philippines — China’s credibility declines with their attempts to thwart Philippine vessels during its rotation and resupply (RORE) missions, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar on Monday.
The Philippine Coast Guard’s RORE mission on Sunday had the highest number of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Seal.
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Asked at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing what the high number of Chinese vessels could mean, Aguilar said that they wanted to stop the Philippine boats.
“As usual po na ginagawa nila, they want to stop us but the more that they do that, the more that their credibility is tinted, the more that they are discredited in the eyes of the international community,” said Aguilar.
(The usual that they do, they want to stop us but the more that they do that, the more that their credibility is tinted, the more that they are discredited in the eyes of the international community.)
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According to Aguilar, it was important to show the world that the Philippines is upholding its jurisdiction and sovereignty through the RORE missions.
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On Friday, Chinese vessels fired a water cannon at Philippine vessels to disrupt a RORE mission, prompting the country to file diplomatic protests against Beijing. The incident joins a long list of aggressive acts from China within the disputed waters.