January 1, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Despite the aggression from Chinese forces, Philippine authorities remained firm in defending the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea this year.
Encounters between the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) often ended in hostile incidents.
CCG patrol ships blasted their water cannons at PCG patrol vessels, encircled and blocked Philippine ships and speedboats and even crashed into Philippine vessels in some instances.
In late August, one of PCG’s two 97-meter patrol vessels BRP Teresa Magbanua was hit at least three times by CCG ship with bow number 5205, leaving holes in parts of the ship, while guarding Escoda Shoal, which authorities alleged to have been a subject of China’s “small-scale island reclamation” with crushed corals already dumped in the area.
Harassment by Chinese officers towards Philippine personnel also led to injuries. In mid-June when the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) carried out a humanitarian mission to troops assigned at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo lost a finger – which was reattached in early November – after a “high-speed ramming incident” between rigid hull inflatable boats of Chinese and Philippine forces, which PCG spokesman for West Philippine Sea concerns Commodore Jay Tarriela called an “accident.”
During a flag-raising ceremony at the Rizal Park in October, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. appealed to Filipinos to “recognize this sacrifice that our soldiers are doing. They are deployed in the nine occupied features of the West Philippine Sea.”
Also, the CCG’s “monster ship” 5901, said to be the world’s largest coast guard ship with a weight of 12,000 tons and length of 165 meters, also posed a threat to the Philippines’ assertion of sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
On the other hand, the PCG repeatedly assured the public that Escoda Shoal – which serves as rendezvous for resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal – is still under the watch of the Philippine government even after BRP Teresa Magbanua left the area after a six-month deployment in September, which left its personnel almost starving after CCG forces blocked efforts to provide supplies.
The efforts to defend the West Philippine Sea earned a boost from President Marcos, who declared in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year: “Ang West Philippine Sea ay hindi kathang-isip lamang, ito ay atin,” receiving cheers and a standing ovation.
The Chief Executive also appealed to uniformed forces involved in guarding the West Philippine Sea to “refrain from provocative stance,” at least according to police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo.
Tarriela sustained his verbal attacks versus China using his X account, where he would paraphrase or rewrite statements from Chinese authorities and state media with his statements focused on China being the bully and the violator of international law and the 2016 arbitral ruling.
The said verdict invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim in the entire South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone that makes up the West Philippine Sea.
He also called on the public to ditch government officials who “prioritize learning Mandarin to greet the (People’s Republic of China) for their New Year or who exploit the topic of the West Philippine Sea solely to attack their political rivals.”
In addition, he belittled China’s new policy to detain foreign trespassers in the South China Sea covered by Chinese territory without trial for up to 60 days and called it an “empty threat.”
Moreover, he said, “Whether the elected president is pro-Beijing or takes a stance against Chinese aggression, the People’s Republic of China will persist in advancing their creeping invasion of the West Philippine Sea.”
The PCG’s sustained efforts to watch over the West Philippine Sea has borne fruit, with support from the international community coming in. In December, the government of Germany donated drone units to the agency, as well as pledged its commitment to support the Philippines in asserting sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
Also, United States Coast Guard Pacific Command commander Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson praised his “friend,” PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, saying the latter “has a plan moving forward” and that the latter “believes the PCG is working very hard” to make the resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal successful.
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