Water cannon incident doesn’t merit military response—AFP
Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala. From the official Twitter account of the Armed forces of the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines–The Chinese Coast Guard’s firing water cannons to drive away Filipino fishermen from Scarborough Shoal (Panatag), viewed locally as a form of harassment, does not merit a military action, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“What happened with the use of the Chinese Coast Guard of water cannons to our fishermen is really alarming. However, the incident …we believe does not merit a military response,” AFP spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.
Military chief General Emmanuel Bautista reported the incident during a speech before members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Monday.
“We have to always think about that we do not escalate the already volatile situation in the area. However, them using water cannon towards Filipino citizens is a concern that merits further discussion on how to deal with such situations,” Zagala said.
Asked what kind of actions by the Chinese would make the Philippine military respond, Zagala refused to “speculate:” “Don’t make me speak of things that will make our forces go there.”
“If I answer you know that’s speculative, you are telling your deployment. I’m telling you what assets we’re gonna bring. That’s speculative at the moment. Rest assured that the armed forces will do its mandate when the time comes,” Zagala said.
It was the Chinese Coast Guard that was involved in the incident, and Zagala said that sending the Philippine Navy would only escalate the situation.
“The last thing we want is to be perceived as an aggressor,” he said.
The Scarborough Shoal is 124 nautical miles off Zambales, which is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
A standoff in the shoal between the Philippines and China in 2012 sparked tensions after the Philippine Navy caught Chinese fishermen with illegally collected endangered corals, giant clams and live sharks. The Philippines chose to resolve the issue through diplomatic means before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
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