The Philippines is eager to hold dialogues with China to finalize a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea (SCS), Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said.
Teodoro, however, expressed doubts on the sincerity of Beijing to negotiate with Manila and other claimant countries.
“[China] is saying that they are committed to a dialogue but they are the only ones who believe that. That’s the problem,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila on Monday, Oct. 14.
The defense chief said that if China is truly committed to a dialogue, they should match their statements with actual actions on the ground to make it “believable.” Otherwise, China is only making a fool out of the Philippines, he said.
“We are also committed to dialogues as long as we know that we are not getting fooled,” Teodoro said.
During an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos last week, President Marcos Jr. urged ASEAN leaders and China to expedite the negotiations for the SCS Code of Conduct (COC).
China, in response, said that it remains committed to settling maritime differences with other claimant countries in the SCS through dialogue and consultation “on the basis of respecting historical facts and international law.”
This did not sit well with Teodoro, as he said that the so-called historical fact being referred to by China, which is their 10-dash line (formerly nine-dash-line) claim in the SCS, has already been debunked by a 2016 arbitral ruling.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) invalidated China’s dash-line claims in the SCS in favor of the Philippines’ protest.
“What kind of dialogue is that? It’s just a monologue that only they believe,” Teodoro said.
He reiterated Marcos’ remarks during the Laos summit that the ASEAN “cannot turn a blind, cast a blind eye or turn a blind eye on what is happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.”
“Nevertheless, the Philippines, the President, is constrained because of our Constitution to exhaust all peaceful and pacific measures of settling territorial disputes,” Teodoro said.
Since 2002, ASEAN member states and China have been engaged in negotiations to establish the SCS Code of Conduct to promote a peaceful and stable environment in the South China Sea. However, to this date, the parties have yet to finalize the maritime code.
Sideswiped by Chinese vessel
A Philippine vessel conducting routine maritime patrol was sideswiped in the vicinity of Pag-asa (Sandy) Cay, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported on Monday, Oct. 14.
In a statement, BFAR said the incident happened at about five nautical miles from Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in Barangay Pag-asa, Kalayaan, Palawan.
BFAR said that BRP Datu Cabaylo was sideswiped by a Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessel with bow number 00108 as it was slowly approaching Pag-asa Island on Friday, Oct. 11.
The agency said the Chinese vessel hit the front portion of BRP Datu Cabaylo, sustaining minor dents caused by the collision.
“Prior to this, the CMM vessel 00108 conducted dangerous maneuvers and tried to block the path of BRP Datu Cabaylo (MMOV 3001),” the BFAR stated.
The BFAR said that despite the dangerous maneuvers of the Chinese militia vessel, the BRP Datu Cabaylo was able to continue with its patrol mission in the Pag-asa (Sandy) Cays.
Meanwhile, BRP Datu Sanday, which was accompanying BRP Datu Cabaylo, also safely completed its patrol.
The two Philippine vessels, per BFAR, are now safely docked at the Pag-asa Sheltered Port.
The agency noted that Pag-asa (Sandy) Cay 4 is located at 5.1 NM south-southwest of Pagasa
Island, stressing that it is well within the island's 12 nautical miles of territorial waters.
The BFAR lauded their officers and crew who were aboard the BRP Datu Cabaylo for continuing to “perform their duty, in line with the mandate of BFAR, to uphold Philippine jurisdiction and rights over its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.”