PCG calls China Coast Guard's entry into PH EEZ 'provocation'

The entry of two China Coast Guard (CCG) rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea was "a provocation on their part," the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.

"Ang BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned naval vessel at ito ay nakalagak sa 105 nautical miles na exclusive economic zone natin. Ibig sabihin ito ay napapaloob sa ating jurisdiction," PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said on "Unang Balita."

(The BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned naval vessel and it is stationed within our 105-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. This means it falls within our jurisdiction.)

"So the approach of those two China Coast Guard RHIBs is actually a provocation on their part," he added.

Tarriela said the military personnel were trying to drive the Chinese vessels away when the confrontation occurred.

"And the intention of our AFP personnel was to drive them away. They were being told to leave. Instead of moving away, however, they persisted, which led to this striking incident," he added.

(And the intention of our AFP personnel is to drive them away. They were being asked to leave. But instead of moving away, they persisted, which resulted in this striking incident.)

On July 20, a Filipino sailor suffered a head injury after he was allegedly struck with a baton by a China Coast Guard personnel during an incident at Ayungin Shoal.

The CCG, however, claimed that it was the Philippine side that initiated the confrontation.

"During the incident, the Philippine personnel initiated malicious attacks against the Chinese law enforcement personnel by using oars, long sticks, and other tools," it said.

"The Chinese side, in accordance with laws and regulations, took measures including verbal warnings, collision-avoiding maneuvers, and proportional countermeasures to control the situation on the spot, while exercising maximum rationality and restraint," the CCG added.

For its part, the Chinese Embassy maintained that Beijing has sovereign rights over the contested waters.

"China's sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters is indisputable. Some individuals in the Philippines may try to twist the rhetoric. However, it cannot change the fact of its illegal occupation of Ren'ai Jiao," said Guo Wei, deputy spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy.

Tarriela, however, said the CCG has no legal basis to conduct maritime law enforcement within the Philippines' EEZ.

"Ayungin Shoal is so far from Hainan. It's more than 600 nautical miles away. There's no reason for the China Coast Guard to be there," he said.

"What they are saying about doing maritime law enforcement—that's not true. They do not have any legal authority to conduct maritime law enforcement within somebody else's exclusive economic zone," he added.

In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring that China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea had "no legal basis." China has rejected the ruling.— MCG, GMA News