Marcos condemns China actions vs. Filipino troops in West PH Sea — Palace

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. condemned Tuesday the alleged assault by the China Coast Guard on Filipino troops deployed to the BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea.

This developed as Malacañang expressed the Marcos administration's support for the critical statements of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of National Defense (DND), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) regarding the incident.

"Alam po natin kung ano na ang naging statement ng Secretary ng DND, pati ang pamunuan ng AFP at ito ay kanilang kinukundina. Sinabi po na hindi tayo pasisil. At pati ang DFA ay nagbigay na rin po ng pahayag. Kinukondena po niya, kinukondena po ng Pangulo ang mga ganitong klaseng pangyayari," said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro.

(We know the statements issued by the DND Secretary and the AFP leadership, and they have condemned the incident. They said we will not be intimidated. The DFA has also issued a statement. The President condemns these kinds of acts.)

'Act of violence'

Castro then read the DFA's statement, which said:

"The DFA is in coordination with the AFP regarding the details of the incident. Any act of violence against Filipino personnel is unacceptable and will merit the appropriate diplomatic action. The DFA is committed to upholding the safety and well-being of Filipino personnel in BRP Sierra Madre who are lawfully performing their duties," Castro said.

She said the government would continue to uphold the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea despite China's aggressive acts in the contested waters.

"Kung ano ang kanilang naratibo, ganyan po ang kanilang maaaring sabihin. Hindi po natin ito saklaw. Pero ang pinaninindigan po natin kung ano ang karapatan natin at kung ano ang dapat lamang gawin ng ating mga opisyal at mga Filipino personnel. So sinusuportahan po natin ang mga ginagawa ng ating mga Filipino officials," Castro said.

(Whatever their narrative is, that is for them to say. That is beyond our control. What we stand by are our rights and what our officials and Filipino personnel are duty-bound to do. We support the actions of our Filipino officials.)

Asked whether Marcos was considering stronger action against China, Castro said disputes should not be resolved through violence.

"Hindi po nadadaan sa dahas ang anumang pakikipaglaban sa karapatan. Hindi pinag-uusapan dito ang laki ng iyong teritoryo, ang lakas ng iyong pwersa. Kung pakikipaglaban sa katotohanan at kung ano ang iyong karapatan," Castro said.

(The fight for one's rights should not be pursued through violence. This is not about the size of one's territory or the strength of one’s forces. It is about standing for the truth and asserting one's rights.)

'Misleading narratives'

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Tuesday also issued a statement rejecting what it called "false and misleading narratives."

"The facts remain clear that the China Coast Guard vessel (CCGV) 21560 deployed a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that deliberately approached BRP Sierra Madre (LS57), a commissioned Philippine Navy vessel lawfully stationed at Ayungin Shoal," the NTF-WPS said.

"The Chinese RHIB had no legitimate reason to approach the vessel at close range or conduct intrusive activities against Philippine personnel carrying out lawful duties," it added.

NTF-WPS also maintained that the Philippine Navy "responded with professionalism, discipline, and restraint, fully observing the Rules of Engagement."

"When confronted with physical violence, our personnel defended themselves while exercising maximum restraint. Any attempt to portray this as Philippine aggression is a deliberate distortion of the facts."

The remarks came after Manila and relevant agencies condemned what they described as an assault by Chinese Coast Guard personnel against Filipino troops assigned to the BRP Sierra Madre, with the DFA saying any act of violence against Filipino personnel is "unacceptable" and would warrant appropriate diplomatic action.

Last Monday, China Coast Guard personnel clubbed a Filipino sailor as they approached the Philippines' grounded World War II-era warship BRP Sierra Madre.

It developed just days after Manila filed a diplomatic protest over an alleged "racist" video posted by Chinese state media wherein the Philippines was portrayed as an AI-generated cartoon monkey manipulated by apparent foreign hands.

Tensions continue as Beijing asserts sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea, a major shipping route handling more than US$3 trillion in annual maritime trade, including waters also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Areas within Philippine jurisdiction in the South China Sea have been renamed by the government as the West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s sovereign claim.

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.

"No amount of coercion, disinformation, or propaganda can change the fact that the 2016 Arbitral Award remains final and binding under international law," the NTF-WPS said.

"The NTF-WPS calls on the People's Republic of China to cease its dangerous actions at sea, abandon deceptive information operations, and conduct itself in a manner consistent with international law and responsible maritime behavior," it added. — VDV/ VAL, GMA News