By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Mincing no words, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela on Saturday (11 May 2024) lambasted China for allegedly destroying the marine environment in Sabina Shoal near Palawan, saying it’s also a “crime against humanity.”

This developed as Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said it would take around 300 years for a damaged coral to naturally recover.

“Sino ba among countries in the South China Sea ang meron talagang walang pakundangang pagsira ng marine environment? It’s only China. Sino lang ba ang puwede nating ituro lahat? China lang,” Tarriela said at the Saturday News Forum held at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

He divulged that the PCG has discovered crushed corals allegedly dumped by Chinese ships in Sabina Shoal in a supposed new reclamation attempt.

Sabina Shoal is also called Escoda Shoal.

Tarriela said the PCG earlier deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua in Sabina or Escoda Shoal following a report on April 15 of the presence of Chinese maritime militia ships in the area, which is just 75 nautical miles or around 120 kilometers off the coast of the main Palawan island.

But after 26 days of monitoring, Tarriela said it was discovered that the physical characteristics of the low-tide elevation surrounding Sabina Shoal are similar to those of the cays in Pag-asa Island, which the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology described as in “degraded states.”

“Malulungkot ka sa naging itsura na ngayon ng Sabina Shoal. If you’re going to talk to fishermen in Palawan, alam nila kung gaano kayamang pangisdaan dati ang Sabina Shoal,” Tarriela quipped.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Taking notice of the changing of narratives of China in justifying its provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela on Saturday (04 May 2024) reiterated that the country did not have a “temporary special arrangement” with China at the Bajo De Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal.

Without naming names, the PCG top official also assailed some individuals who tried to sow fear that the Philippines will be “another Ukraine” if war erupts with China as he emphasized that the military follows the chain of command, with the President and Commander-in-Chief giving the marching order “not to be provoked” in the face of Chinese incursions into the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Huwag na tayo magpabudol sa Chinese Embassy… Huwag tayong magpaloko dahil pinag-away-away lang nila tayo,” Tarriela said at the Saturday News Forum held at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

He noted China’s changing of narratives such as the “gentleman’s agreement” for the Ayungin Shoal and now the “temporary special arrangement” for the Bajo de Masinloc.

In a statement on Thursday (2 May 2024), the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed that, in 2016, China had set a temporary special arrangement in the Scarborough Shoal with Philippine fishers and other agencies.

“According to the temporary special arrangements by the Chinese side in 2016, Filipino fishermen can fish with small fishing boats in designated waters except the lagoon of Huangyan Dao,” the Chinese Embassy claimed.

But the PCG commodore clarified that the Philippines did not recognize the 12-nautical-mile “red line” in the Scarborough Shoal which China claimed was based on the “temporary special arrangement” allegedly arrived at in 2016.

“Let us not be influenced by [China’s] fabricated stories once again, which aims to confuse the Filipino people and divert the public discourse from the real issue of their harassment and provocative actions in Bajo De Masinloc,” Tarriela said.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis. Beijing refuses to honor the decision up until now.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Mincing no words, Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard’s spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) issues, on Wednesday (01 May 2024) accused China Coast Guard (CCG) of elevating tensions in the South China Sea after its use of water cannons that damaged two of its vessels.

“The Chinese Coast Guard now has elevated the tension and the level of their aggression as well towards the Philippine Coast Guard vessel,” Tarriela said in a press conference.

He added that the CCG seemed to have increased the pressure of their water cannons compared to the previous incidents.

“This is the first time that we can say that the Coast Guard vessel has been subjected to a direct water cannon with that kind of pressure that even resulted in structural damage,” the PCG official noted.

“If you are going to compare it last year and the recent incidents from the resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal and now here in Bajo de Masinloc with our humanitarian mission, it goes to show that Goliath is becoming more Goliath,” Tarriela further observed.

The PCG official decried the use of “brute force” by China in the WPS.

“They don’t hesitate to use brute force, to violate international law, to show the international community that they are going to blatantly disregard UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Tarriela lamented.

Likening the situation to the biblical story of David and Goliath, the PCG official said in this situation the Philippines appears to be like the shepherd boy David who dared to stand up to the bullying giant Goliath.

“If you are going to ask me how am I going to interpret it, for me, this is still a response of China perhaps to our David and Goliath narrative. Because since we started our transparency strategy before, the David and Goliath shows we are the David and they are the Goliath and on the story, it’s David who was victorious in that kind of scenario,” Tarriela said.

(el Amigo/MNM)