Acting Presidential Spokesperson Sec. Karlo Nograles said Thursday (Nov. 18) that the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has “condemned” the Ayungin Shoal incident.
“We have received reports from the Western Command in Palawan regarding the November 16, 2021 incident in Ayungin Shoal,” he said in a press statement.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs has acted swiftly and has condemned the incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard.”
On Nov. 16, three Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocked and water-cannoned two Filipino supply boats that were en route to Ayungin Shoal to deliver food supplies to Philippine military personnel stationed there.
No one was hurt but the boats had to abort their resupply mission.
“I have conveyed in the strongest terms to H.E. [His Excellency] Huang Xilian, Ambassador of China, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing our outrage, condemnation, and protest of the incident,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Thursday.
Nograles, meanwhile, reiterated the country’s stand on protecting its sovereignty.
“As we have in the past, we will continue to assert our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over our territory,” he said in the statement.
Locsin reminded the Chinese side that a public vessel is covered by the Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty, and added that these acts committed by the Chinese Coast Guard are “illegal” and that China has no law enforcement rights in and around these areas.
“They must take heed and back off,” he stressed.
He added that this failure to exercise self-restraint “threatens the special relationship” between the Philippines and China that President Rodrigo Duterte and President Xi Jinping worked hard to nurture.
Locsin said the Philippine government will continue to provide supplies to its troops in Ayungin Shoal.
“We do not ask permission to do what we need to do in our territory,” he said.
Ayungin Shoal is located about 105 nautical miles off Palawan, well within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. It is part of the Kalayaan Island Group which is an integral part of the Philippines, and over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction. (with a PNA report) – jlo
