Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) — There were only 28 Chinese maritime militia vessels swarming the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea as of Tuesday, down from around 135 vessels reported on Dec. 2, the Western Command of the country’s armed forces said.
The count came from the aerial patrol conducted on Tuesday by security officials in the contested waterway, WESCOM Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos told lawmakers in a public hearing on Wednesday.
Carlos said they monitored on Nov. 5 and 6 around 60 Chinese vessels in the area, before increasing to 90 on Nov. 13 then 135 by Dec. 2.
Two Philippine Navy (PN) vessels in the area issued radio challenges, and monitored and documented the presence of Chinese vessels during the first monitoring, Carlos said.
But he added that only when the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted its patrol on Dec. 2 that “we noticed that they (Chinese vessels) reacted and they left Julian Felipe (Reef).”
On Sunday, the PCG said its vessels issued radio challenges against the Chinese ships but these were ignored.
Response not enough?
However, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro was dissatisfied with the situation, saying that the PCG seemed to have a “late reaction” to the swarming incident.
“Whether magkaroon ng Chinese vesel doon o hindi, sana naging proactive tayo, hindi reactive, mag-one month bago mag-react,” Castro said, adding existing procedures appeared not to be effective.
[Translation: Whether Chinese vessels are there or not, I hope that we should have been proactive, not reactive. The reaction came after a month.]
Their discussion became a heated argument as PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela explained the agency’s side, highlighting the forces’ limited assets that make almost 24/7 patrols not feasible.
RELATED: AFP: Making swarm of Chinese ships leave Julian Felipe Reef next to impossible
“Are we effective in doing what we’re doing right now? I think so…Now here in the Julian Felipe, are we going to celebrate this already, with the 135 down to 28? I think so,” he said.
Castro responded that this is not a cause for celebration as even one Chinese vessel present in the WPS is a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
“My god, wag naman natin sinasabi sa China, ‘Sige, punta na kayo dito, after all di naman namin kayo kaya eh,'” said Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales, who chairs the House Special Committee on West Philippine Sea.
[Translation: My god, let’s not say to China, “Come here because we cannot handle you.]
For his part, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan said the PN and PCG are “doing their very best in securing our territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).” He added lawmakers cannot fault them for having limited resources.
“We’re trying to present a different menu of responses in doing our RORE (rotational and resupply mission) so that it would complicate matters for China and that would give us a greater chance of success,” National Security Council Assistant Director General Francis Lauengco also said.
PN studying situation on gray ship patrols
Both Gonzales and Panaligan considered that gray ships or military vessels in disputed waters may help in diminishing the number of Chinese ships within the country’s EEZ in the WPS.
When asked if gray ships also encounter “harassment” from Chinese coast guard vessels or Chinese maritime militia vessels, Carlos said the PCG faces “more aggressive actions” compared to the country’s navy vessels.
“Chinese action against Philippine Navy vessels is usually limited to shadowing at a distance about 5 to 8 nautical miles,” Carlos also said. “But we have one incident where they crossed our bow, Chinese gray ship crossing the bow of a Philippine Navy’s.”
READ: PH warns off Chinese Navy ship after attempt to interrupt another resupply mission in WPS
“It appears that the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese maritime militia, they are more careful whenever it is the navy that is patrolling. Maybe because your vessels are surface combatant compared to coast guard vessels,” Panaligan replied.
Carlos said security officials are still assessing the situation and China’s behavior.
They went into an executive session to discuss the situation in the WPS further.
