It’s nearly an act of war if a Filipino dies in West Philippine Sea

TIGHT GUARDING A China Coast Guard vessel keeps a close watch on a small Filipino fishing boat in this photo taken earlier this month some 93 kilometers (50 nautical miles) away from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. —RICHARD A. REYES

SINGAPORE – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the death of a Filipino, not just a member of the military, in the West Philippine Sea, due to China Coast Guard’s water cannon attack, would be very close to “act of war.”

”If there’s an incident that ended up killing a Filipino serviceman, be they a coast guard or in the military, part of the navy, that would certainly increase the level of response,” the President said during an open forum at the Shangri-La Dialogue here after delivering the keynote speech.

READ: Marcos: PH won’t yield West Philippine Sea; to defend it at all cost

“If by a willful act, a Filipino, not only serviceman or any a Filipino citizen, if a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act, that is I think a very very close to what we define us act of war,” he added.

Marcos issued the response after he was asked by an audience if a “red line” would be crossed if a China Coast Guard’s water cannon would kill a Filipino sailor. 

“We already have suffered injury, but thank God, we have not yet gotten to the point where any of our participants, civilian or otherwise, have been killed,” he said. 

“But once we get to that point, that is certainly we would have crossed the Rubicon and certainly crossed the Rubicon. Is that a red line? Almost certainly it’s going to be a red line,” he added.   

On April 30, China Coast Guard  (CCG) vessels on Tuesday morning again fired water cannons against two Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to Panatag or Scarborough Shoal. 

The CCG ships used a “very fatal” water cannon pressure against the Philippine Coast Guard vessel, which resulted in damage to the railing and canopy of the Philippine ship.

In March this year, seven Navy personnel were wounded in two separate water cannon attacks by CCG ships against Philippine supply boats on their way to bring supplies to the troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin.

Philippine resupply boats bound for Ayungin came under similar attacks from the Chinese ships on Dec. 10 and Nov. 10 last year.

Marcos said in April that that the Philippines would invoke the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty if a Filipino sailor or a member of its military is killed due to China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.