US-PH DRILLS The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Armed Forces successfully conduct counter-landing exercises at La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag on May 6, 2024, as part of the Exercise Balikatan 39-2024. Counter-landing live-fire operation is a military strategy that involves deploying defensive forces, such as infantry and artillery to deter hostile forces seeking to establish presence within the nation's borders. AFP PHOTO
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said no official of the Marcos administration has entered into any agreement with China regarding Ayungin Shoal.
This was after the department issued a statement over the weekend saying that it was “not aware” of any “new model arrangement” in Ayungin Shoal referred to by the Chinese Embassy.
"In this respect, the DFA can confirm that no cabinet-level official of the Marcos administration has agreed to any Chinese proposal pertaining to the Ayungin Shoal," the DFA said in a statement.
“The DFA wishes to emphasize that only the President of the Republic of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine Government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and South China Sea."
“No such document, record or deal exists as far as the Philippine Government is concerned."
Earlier, the DFA reaffirmed its position on not abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf including Ayungin Shoal. Disinformation such as this only confuses the Filipino public and distracts everyone from the real issue of China’s unfounded claims and illegal and aggressive actions in the Philippine waters, it said.
The Chinese Embassy has claimed that it had a consensus with some representatives of the current administration in addition to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s "gentleman’s agreement" with Beijing and both aim to keep the status quo in the WPS.
It has also denied that China’s agreement with the Duterte administration was done in secret and contended that the Marcos administration knows about it since the start of its office.
‘Zombie stories’
A high-ranking official of the Philippine Navy (PN), meanwhile, described the Chinese Embassy’s claims as “zombie stories.”
"I call them 'zombie stories' long dead but revived from the grave; (the) best approach is to put these stories where they rightfully belong - in the grave, never to be heard again,” PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement.
He added that these stories were all fabricated and products of the Chinese Communist Party’s imagination to “divert attention from their violations of international law.”
Trinidad also said these claims are aimed at causing divisiveness among Filipinos, aside from providing China with a "smoke screen", as they advance their agenda in the WPS.
Non-retaliatory stance on WPS row
As this developed, a maritime expert on Tuesday supported President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s stance rejecting the use of water cannons by Philippine vessels to retaliate against China’s continued harassment in the disputed areas of the West Philippine Sea.
In a radio interview, University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea director Jay Batongbacal said a retaliatory move by the Philippines would only meet a harsher response from China.
"Sa akin tama lang na alam natin na mas marami silang water cannon. Kahit gumanti ang isa nating water cannon, tatapatan nila ng apat o anim. Hindi ko nakikita kung saan ‘yun patungo, other than makita na gumanti tayo (In my opinion, that is just right because China has a lot more water cannons than us, if we retaliate with one water cannon, they will counter with four or six. I don't see it getting anywhere except from just seeing us retaliate)," he said.
Batongbacal reiterated that Philippine water cannons are used for extinguishing fires at sea.
He added that if Manila goes head-to-head with Beijing, it is likely a Philippine Coast Guard ship will sink, resulting in the loss of a maritime asset.
He said it would only give China an excuse to justify a stronger response against Philippine vessels in the WPS.
"Hindi tayo dapat magpahuli sa ganung patibong (We should not fall for that trap)," he added.
He added that Manila's stance of maintaining restraint is the best move, as it continues to gain support from the international community.
Asked to comment on the National Security Council's (NSC) theory that China is dumping crushed corals in the WPS to reverse the 2016 arbitral ruling, Batongbacal said it is likely that the Chinese are developing Sandy Cay to make it a "high tide elevation" to allow it to have a territorial sea.
He said that this would result in Chinese artificial islands in Subi Reef, leading to a reduction in the territorial sea of Pagasa Island, which is under the Philippines' jurisdiction.
"Hindi po nila kinikilala ‘yung arbitral ruling pero nakita natin, pinipilit nilang iprisinta sa mundo na kahit hindi nila kinikilala ‘yun, ginagamit pa rin nila ang UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] (They do not recognize the arbitral ruling but as we see, they are trying to present it to the world that they are still using the UNCLOS even if they do not recognize it.) They are still trying to use UNCLOS to justify 'yung position nila kasi alam nila na di nila basta pwede ipilit ung gusto nila (their position because they know they cannot just insist whatever they want),” he said.
“Pinalalabas nila na sila ‘yung compliant, tayo 'yung hindi (They make it appear that they are compliant and we are not)," Batongbacal added. PNA
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