MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro said Monday that the Philippine government is not downplaying China’s recent aggression near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
During a press briefing, Teodoro said that the June 17 strife with China was not a “misunderstanding” or “accident” but an aggressive and illegal use of force from Chinese authorities.
“After our visit to our troops in Palawan yesterday where the President personally talked to the troops involved in the RoRe (rotation and resupply), we have now come to the conclusion that it was not a misunderstanding or an accident,” he said.
“We are not downplaying the incident. It was an aggressive and illegal use of force,” he added.
Moreover, the Department of National Defense said the Philippine government will not seek consent or permission from anyone when conducting rotation and resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.
“We will not publish any schedules of RoRe,” said Teodoro.
In a news conference last week, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the incident was “probably a misunderstanding or accident,” to which Teodoro clarified that the claim was a “preliminary assessment” of what happened in the area.
Reports initially indicated that eight Filipino servicemen had been injured during the hostile incident on June 17, but the National Maritime Council clarified that only one serviceman was hurt.
‘Violation of sovereignty’
In a statement, Beijing accused the Philippines of “illegally” sending materials and weapons to fortify a grounded warship at Ren’ai Jiao (Ayungin Shoal) for a lasting occupation.
“This violates our sovereignty and we will never accept it,” Beijing said.
Additionally, Beijing argued that the presence of the Philippine warship on Ayungin Shoal exemplifies long-standing provocations, sovereignty violations against China, breaches of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and environmental harm in the disputed waters.
“The PH warship on Ren’ai Jiao is evidence of PH’s decades-long persistent provocations and violation of China’s sovereignty as well as its breach of the DOC [Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea] and damage to the eco-environment in the South China Sea,” it added.
