'Mga kamote sa dagat': Tinio trolls China forces after West Philippine Sea mishap
At A Glance
- Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has trolled the China vessels that collided with each other in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), calling them "kamote".
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Facebook)
Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has trolled the China vessels that collided with each other in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), calling them "kamote".
"Akala ko sa lupa lang ang mga kamote pati sa dagat din pala! (I thought kamotes were confimed on roads, turns out there are also ones at sea)" Tinio said following the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) reports on Monday, Aug. 11.
According to the PCG, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) 3104 vessel collided with People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship 164 while chasing thr Philippines' BRP Suluan. The collision happened near Scarborough Shoal, where the PCG vessel was conducting a mission.
Tinio says the mishap, which resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel, demonstrates the dangerous consequences of China's continued aggression in Philippine territorial waters.
"It would be best for the Chinese vessels to leave Bajo de Masinloc and concentrate on their recognized waters and stop hallucinating that the West Philippine Sea is theirs," Tinio stated, referring to the Filipino name for Scarborough Shoal.
"Hindi tayo matatakot sa mga bully na hindi marunong magmaneho ng barko (We will not fear bullies who don't even know how to maneuver boats). Our fisherfolk have every right to fish in our traditional waters, and our Coast Guard has every right to protect them," he added.
The incident involved at least seven CCG vessels and 14 maritime militia ships swarming the area, along with the direct involvement of a PLA Navy warship, which maritime experts described as "very escalatory."
"This reckless behavior by Chinese forces not only violates our sovereignty but also endangers the safety of all vessels in the area, including their own. The 2016 Arbitral Award clearly established that Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground, not China's exclusive territory," the Makabayan lawmaker said.
Tinio called on the Philippine government to continue asserting the country's rights in the WPS and to use the upcoming ASEAN chairmanship to push for the completion of a binding South China Sea code of conduct.