Solon says China taunting PH with military might

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A congressman from Cagayan de Oro said that China has been using its militray prowess to intimidate the Philippines following the issueance of a Chinese rule prohibiting non-Chinese fishermen from fishing in the West Philipppine Sea (South China Sea).

Representative Rufus Rodriguez said that the additional vessels acquired by the Philippine Coast Guard do not deter the mighty Asian nation from imposing its presence on the waters that the Philippines and China dispute.

“No matter what, we are limited with our resources to buy materials like more patrol vessels and military vessels, what we acquired were coast guard cutters,” Rodriguez said in an interview with Inquirer Radio 990AM Friday afternoon. “This is very small compared to China, they have an aircraft carrier and they will buy three more.”

According to Rodriguez, China continues to intrude into the operations of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which gives the country a 200-mile area from the shoreline where local fishermen can freely operate.

China claims, through its nine-dash line which is a demarcation line for their claims on the parts of the West Philppine Sea, would include Philippine seas overlapping the EEZ and a direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which gave the Philippines sovereignty over the 200-mile area.

He said that China sent an aircraft carrier together with two destroyers and two frigates to roam around the EEZ and nearly collided with the USS Cowpens, an American cruiser that came from Tacloban after conducting relief efforts in the area.

Rodriguez added that credible defense is relative to the problem in the current situation of the Philippines which has the largest Asian nation as its opponent in sea territtory.

“Credible defense is always relative and relative to where our problem is and the problem is the West Philippine Sea and the neighbor giving us a problem is China,” Rodriguez said. “And you know China and the Philippines have that disparity (in military power), you can’t have that credible defense.”

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