By Junex Doronio

MANILA – The contentious incident on June 17 at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, where China escalated its aggressive actions, the government claimed it was merely a misunderstanding among maritime personnel.
But was it a misunderstanding or an accident?

Late Wednesday (19 June 2024), the military released footage that showed small boats crewed by Chinese sailors shouting, waving knives, and using sticks to hit an inflatable boat as a siren blared.

But during a News Forum on Saturday (22 June 2024) at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tarriela said there was a “wrong interpretation” of what transpired in Ayungin Shoal.

He said no video showed the Chinese sailors intended to use arms against the Filipino sailors.

“Ito ay harangan lang,” Tarriela clarified.

The United States has said that “an armed attack” against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces, and coastguard anywhere in the South China Sea will trigger the activation of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that requires Washington to come to Manila’s defense as a treaty ally.

Tarriela also disclosed that public announcements of the Philippines’ conduct of regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to its military outpost in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will now require the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

“The policy recommendation that was mentioned by the Executive Secretary, being the chair of the National Maritime Council (NMC), is that we will be announcing the routine resupply operations, is subject to the approval of our President,” Tarriela said

Bersamin heads the NMC that President Marcos created last March to strengthen the country’s maritime security amid China’s increased aggression in the WPS.

“Second, this resupply operation remains to be considered as an ordinary, legitimate, and routine operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Tarriela added.

For his part, Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns Andres Centino maintained that the new policy means “that we assert our sovereign right and sovereignty in the area.”

To recall, earlier reports confirmed by the military that there were eight injured soldiers.

But on Friday (21 June 2024), Centino claimed that only one soldier was injured in the most recent encounter with China in Ayungin Shoal.

“To be accurate with the status of our soldiers there was only one that got injured, as early reported there were like seven, actually it was only one, Sergeant [Jeffrey] Facundo of the Philippine Navy,” he said.

(el Amigo/mnm)