Philippines asks Japan, US coast guards to boost presence in South China Sea

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) said on Tuesday that it has asked its Japanese and American counterparts to boost their presence in the South China Sea amid what it deemed as a “forthcoming threat” from China in one of the world’s most important waterways.

Speaking at a conference with its Japanese and American counterparts on the sidelines of the Shangri-la security dialogue in Singapore, the PCG said it will coordinate with other agencies as it seeks to boost ship deployment in the South China Sea.

“The PCG intends to send ships further out, in coordination with other agencies, to better secure our Filipino fishermen,” its Commandant Ronnie Gil L. Gavan was quoted as saying in a press release on Monday.

Manila’s tensions with Beijing further escalated recently after China adopted a detention policy against so-called trespassers in disputed maritime areas which it claims. This is on top of more aggressive actions by Chinese agents preventing resupply missions for Filipino troops stationed in Second Thomas Shoal.

The PCG said Mr. Gavan had asked the Japanese Coast Guard and US Coast Guard to develop “new ways” to address the “forthcoming threat in the high seas,” citing China’s new policy allowing its coast guard to detain foreigners it suspects of violating its exit-entry rules “in the waters under the jurisdiction of China” for up to 30 days — and in some cases for as long as 60 days — without a trial.

“I’d like to propose greater deployment in the high seas,” Mr. Gavan said. “We will do our part, but we also need you to be there to maintain rules-based order the way Coast Guards should play their role.”

“We know our limits, but we know we can do something to give time for our political leaders to do their part to keep the West Philippine Sea as free as it should be,” he added.

The Japanese Coast Guard proposed the conduct of more personnel exchanges to create a robust network of coast guards to keep a rules-based order, according to the PCG.

It said the US Coast Guard (USCG) will deploy its North Pacific Coast Guard to support the PCG in upholding the country’s sovereign rights and territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea.

The USCG cited the need to “conduct further training, develop dynamic tactics and procedures, and prepare ships equipped to counter evolving threats in the high seas,” the PCG said.

“The PCG, JCG, and USCG agreed to pursue capacity-building initiatives to strengthen their people-to-people relationship, better synchronize Coast Guard doctrines on the ground, and develop trust with each other,” it added.

On Tuesday, the Philippine military released videos showing Chinese agents seizing supplies it airdropped on May 19 for Filipino troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy vessel that Manila grounded in Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 following China’s seizure of Mischief Reef.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner, Jr. said at a news conference that the Chinese Coast Guard “came very, very close” to BRP Sierra Madre just to snatch the supplies, which posed a “danger or a threat.”

Despite China’s obstructions on May 19, the mission to resupply the Philippine outpost was “largely successful,” AFP spokesperson Francel Margareth Padilla said. “Our brave soldiers managed to secure the majority of the items that were delivered,” she said.

Second Thomas Shoal, which is well within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), was among the South China Sea features most frequented by Chinese Coast Guard vessels last year, according to Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

Meanwhile, the AFP denied in a statement claims by the Chinese state media that Filipino soldiers aboard BRP Sierra Madre “pointed guns” at China Coast Guard personnel during the resupply mission.

“Our personnel are governed by the Rules of Engagement and clearly acted with the highest level of professionalism, restraint, and discipline in the performance of their mission to safeguard our sovereignty and sovereign rights,” the AFP said in a statement.

It said foreign vessels that “venture dangerously close to our military vessel” and violate safe distance protocols “necessitate heightened vigilance and alertness from our personnel.”

“Hence, our troops were seen on guard because of the Chinese Coast Guard’s provocative presence near BRP Sierra Madre,” it added.