By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Mincing no words, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday (27 Aug 2024) described China as the biggest disruptor of international peace in the Southeast Asian region.
Despite the harassment of China, Teodoro declared that the Philippines is serious about protecting its sovereignty.
“China… is the biggest disruptor of international peace in the ASEAN region,” Gilberto Teodoro told a conference of the US Indo-Pacific Command in Manila, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Teodoro made the statement on the heels of a series of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
He urged partner nations to call out China’s “illegal actions” in the WPS.
On Sunday (25 August 2024), Chinese vessels blocked, rammed, and fired water cannons against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel while doing a resupply mission to Filipino fishermen in Escoda Shoal.
Rear Admiral Andrew M. Sugimoto, deputy commander of the United States Coast Guard Pacific Area, expressed alarm over the incident.
“It just doesn’t happen! Nor do we go around and taking water cannons trying to flood out vessels, that is not what we call safe and professional operations,” Sugimoto said.
The US Coast Guard strongly assailed China’s blatant bullying, emphasizing the importance of adhering to maritime rules and international law.
“We stand with the Philippines and will continue working with them. When Article 4 [of the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty] is invoked, we will stand with the Philippine Coast Guard and everybody else that is a part of this treaty,” Sugimoto stressed.
It can be noted that China rejected a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that found Beijing’s expansive claims over the South China Sea had no basis under international law.
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