Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 14) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has urged Beijing to restrain its forces after the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) pointed military-grade laser light at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel near Ayungin Shoal.
“The secretary of national defense has already declared or said that the act committed by the Coast Guard of China is offensive and unsafe,” AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar told reporters.
“Therefore, I think it is time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces, so that it does not commit any provocative act,” he added.
The PCG on Monday reported that CCG ship with bow No. 5205 “crossed the bow of the PCG ship at a distance of 7.4 km (4 nautical miles), as if to warn BRP Malapascua to stop or alter course.”
The PCG said it was followed by “dangerous maneuvers,” with CCG 5205 at a close distance of about 150 yards from the starboard quarter of the Philippine vessel before the Chinese ship shone its laser that caused temporary blindness to the PCG crew.
In response, Beijing has accused the PCG of intruding into its waters, claiming that the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea is part of China’s Nansha Islands.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the CCG only “upheld China’s sovereignty and maritime order,” calling the act “professional and restrained.”
While the Philippines and China have maintained a good relationship when it comes to other matters, Aguilar said Beijing “should prove by act that we are friends.”
“We are friends, and therefore, we want to be treated like friends,” added.
Reacting to the incident, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that the “line has been crossed.\”
Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, meanwhile, told CNN Philippines that she is not satisfied with how the government is handling the case. The Marcos administration should have the urgency to address it.
“We have our own, supposedly, independent policy when it comes to foreign relations, so kung gusto nating i-maintain ‘yun (if we want to maintain that), we should really do something about this,” she added.
Senator JV Ejercito condemned the latest aggression of Chinese authorities, and urged the government to expedite the modernization of military forces and strengthen the country’s defense.
“Given these recent incursions, we need to put up a naval force that can project a more respectable presence in the West Philippine Sea. Moreover, this is the best time for us to work with our regional neighbors and defense partners in countering China’s aggression,” he added.
The United States also called out China for its actions, warning that this threatens peace in the region.
READ: US: China’s use of laser against PH ship ‘provocative,’ threatens regional peace
