Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 1) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday inaugurated its new station on Pag-asa Island, which is expected to enhance the agency’s ability to monitor movements of Chinese forces in Philippine waters.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said he is optimistic that the new “state-of-the-art” facility will help the government’s efforts to raise awareness of Beijing’s “provocative and bullying” actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The official said he believes this so-called transparency strategy will ultimately influence China’s behavior.
“Its ability to collect real-time data, along with its coastal radars that can track the presence of vessels near the island, will certainly have an impact on the behavior of our Chinese neighbor,” Año said in a speech during the inauguration.
According to the NSA, the new station has radar systems, coastal cameras, and equipment for automatic identification, satellite communication, and vessel traffic management.
“This facility is poised to be a game-changer in promoting transparency and influencing their (China’s) behavior to abide by international laws and support the rules-based order,” he added.
On Friday morning, 19 Chinese ships could be seen in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island, also known as Thitu Island. Located southwest of Palawan, it falls within the country’s exclusive economic zone in the WPS — something China contests despite a landmark 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines.
Some incidents between Manila and Beijing on the island and other parts of the WPS in recent months have raised tensions between the two nations, including the latter’s persistent shadowing of Philippine vessels and its conduct of dangerous maneuvers which, in October, resulted in a collision.
Such actions by China, Año said, are “pure bullying.”
“Actually, hindi na ‘yan gray-zone (tactics), pure bullying na ‘yan, and it’s pure illegal,” he said in a media interview. “Hindi na ‘yan acceptable sa international law.”
[Translation: Actually, those are no longer gray-zone tactics, it’s pure bullying and it’s purely illegal. That’s no longer acceptable under international law.]
The security adviser said that apart from Pag-asa Island, the government is also looking at improving other maritime features occupied by the Philippines.
