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Emerging ‘tinderbox’

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DEFENSE and military authorities are bracing for a possible escalation of tensions anew between China and the Philippines amid the raging territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) that could raise the specter of a confrontation if neither side backs down. This, following Beijing’s declaration of the start of a “fishing ban” in the territory that it claims, including the Scarborough Shoal.

The government through the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) chaired by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said recently that it will not recognize China’s fishing ban, thus openly challenging for the first time Beijing’s fishing prohibition in the waters of Scarborough.

This satellite image shows a Chinese fishing vessel in the Whitsun Reef located in the disputed South China Sea, March 23, 2021.

“The announcement of China that it will impose a unilateral fishing ban on Chinese fishing vessels in the areas of the South China Sea north of the 12th parallel, from 1 May to 16 August 2021, is noted,” the NTF-WPS said, which strongly condemned the Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) shadowing, blocking and even dangerous maneuvers against two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships near the shoal.

“This fishing ban does not apply to our fishermen and the NTF-WPS opposes China’s imposition of the same over the areas within the territory and jurisdiction of the Philippines. The NTF-WPS reiterates that our fisherfolk are encouraged to go out and fish in our waters in the WPS,” the task force added.

‘Defiance’

THE country’s official declaration of a policy of defiance, especially in the case of Scarborough Shoal, was the first under the Duterte administration, and it came amid the standing demand of the government for China to remove from the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and WPS all of its vessels, including its maritime militia.

The waters of Scarborough have been a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos. It is located near Zambales, but has been occupied by China since 2012. It continues to deny or, at the least, regulate the presence of Filipino fishermen while allowing the unhampered activities of Chinese fishermen, including the harvesting of giant clams, locally known as taklobo.

There were cases in the past when Filipino fishermen were harassed, intimidated and even attacked with water cannons by CCG vessels as they attempted to enter and fish within the shoal’s waters, which even prompted the government once to call on Filipino fishermen to temporarily shun fishing at the shoal.

Aggressive behavior

MARITIME law expert Jay Batongbacal previously reported 29 cases of attacks, intimidation and harassments committed by China against Filipino fishermen in the WPS, and most of these cases were perpetrated by the CCG in Scarborough.

As the prohibition covers Scarborough’s fishing waters, it affects every fisherman of any nationality as shown by the previous clampdown that was imposed by China.

The government’s statement that the ban will not cover Filipinos—whom it even encouraged to fish in the waters that are subject of China’s claims and where it already exercises de facto control through the constant presence of Chinese navy and coast guard ships—was supported by the increased patrols and additional deployment of Philippine naval assets.

According to the NTF-WPS, not only the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and BFAR vessels would be deployed in the KIG and WPS, but even assets of the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group for seaborne law-enforcement operations. This was followed by the pronouncement more than a week ago that maritime policemen will be initially deployed on military ships as “riders.”

“The government maritime patrols will be joined by the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG) Regional Maritime Units, which will be assigned to the Area Task Forces (ATF) West and North for involvement in seaborne operations,” it said.

The ATF West is under the military’s Western Command, while the ATF North is under the Northern Luzon Command, which watches the waters of Batanes, the Philippine Rise and the rest of the country’s eastern seaboard.

Protect what is ours

“THE Philippines maintains the deployment of law-enforcement patrols and maritime exercises of the Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels on a rotational basis over the waters of the Municipality of Kalayaan and our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” the NTF-WPS said.

“This is pursuant to our exercise of sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, consistent with the government’s commitment against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing, and to enforce our laws on maritime security and safety and environmental protection,” it added.

“The Philippines is not deterred from defending our national interest, patrimony, and our dignity as a people with all that we have. Thus, the conduct of law-enforcement patrols and maritime exercises in the WPS and Municipality of Kalayaan by the PCG and the BFAR will continue as directed by the President. The government is firm in its resolve to protect what is ours for the benefit of the Filipinos,” the NTF-WPS added.

Images courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard via AP and Maxar Technologies via AP

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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