MANILA, Philippines — The national security advisers (NSAs) of the Philippines and the United States expressed “grave concern” about recent aggressions of China in Panatag (Scarborough) and Escoda (Sabina) shoals in the West Philippine Sea.
NSA Eduardo Año and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan tackled the matters in a phone conversation on Tuesday (Aug. 20), the National Security Council (NSC) said in a readout on Wednesday.
“The two NSAs exchanged information on the current maritime security situation in the region and particularly raised grave concerns on the recent illegal, aggressive, and dangerous actions of China’s People’s Liberation Army – Air Force (PLAAF) against a Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft conducting a routine maritime security operation over Bajo de Masinloc; and Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships while en route to Patag Island and Lawak Island in the West Philippine Sea,” the NSC said.
Last Aug. 8 in Scarborough Shoal, two PLAAF fighter jets fired flares into the path of a PAF’s NC-212i plane and conducted what the military call “dangerous maneuvers.”
READ: DFA chief on China’s firing of flares in West PH Sea: They took us by surprise
Also in Escoda Shoal on Aug. 19, PCG vessels said its vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño encountered what Manila called “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” from CCG ships, damaging both vessels.
READ: Despite ramming in Sabina, area not a new flashpoint in WPS tensions – Navy
Beijing’s actions are based on its assertion of sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, as it continues to reject a July 2016 Arbitral Award which effectively dismissed its claims while ruling in favor of Manila.
The landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, whose lagoon is now under the latter’s effective control.
“NSA Año underscored the Philippines’ unassailable rights in the West Philippine Sea based on international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the council also said.
Meanwhile, the NSC said Sullivan “lauded the recently concluded inaugural Philippines-Vietnam joint coast guard exercise and Manila’s efforts to expand the conduct of maritime cooperative activities with like-minded countries in the region and beyond.”
For the first time, Vietnam Coast Guard sent its ship to Manila for a five-day visit (Aug. 5 to 9) which culminated in the maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Vietnam, PCG use water cannon in West Philippine Sea drills
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During the drills, Manila and Hanoi practiced the usage of water cannons to put out a fire on a mock vessel.
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