Palawan LGU condemns China's water cannon use vs. PH vessels

The Palawan provincial board on Wednesday denounced the firing of water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels going to Ayungin Shoal for a resupply mission at the BRP Sierra Madre.

In a statement, the 44th Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Palawan said it passed a resolution authored by board member Roseller Pineda during their regular session on Tuesday, condemning and expressing grave concern over the incident.

According to board member Juan Antonio Alvarez, CCG’s move was unacceptable and was a clear form of harassment.

"Matagal na po nating ipinaglalaban ang ating karapatan sa West Philippine Sea. Matagal na po tayong gumagawa ng mga resolusyon upang panindigan natin ang ating territorial rights sa WPS at ilang beses na rin po tayong sinasamahan ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan tungkol po sa laban natin na ito. Pero sa kasamaang palad, tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang ginagawang pagmamaltrato sa ating mga kababayan diyan po mismo sa teritoryo natin sa WPS,” he said.

(We have been fighting for our rights in the West Philippine Sea for a long time. We have been making resolutions to stand up for our territorial rights in the WPS and the provincial council has been accompanying us for this fight. Unfortunately, our countrymen are still mistreated right in our territory in the WPS.)

Ayungin is located 105.77 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine province of Palawan and constitutes part of the country’s 200-nautical mile continental shelf as provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The council, meanwhile, also approved a resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “to take a definitive stance in the issue of the Philippine sovereignty where Palawan is one of the territories that are in clear and present danger relative to the West Philippine Sea's issues and challenges.”

On Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that the CCG had “dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons” against its vessels escorting the boats chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to military troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre.

Marcos on Monday said a note verbale was sent to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian following the incident.

China had also accused the Philippines of seeking to “permanently occupy” the Ayungin Shoal and again raised its demand for the removal of BRP Sierra Madre in what it called Ren’ai Jiao.

Reacting to this, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela on Tuesday maintained that the BRP Sierra Madre, which is stationed at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The BRP Sierra Madre has been at the Ayungin Shoal since 1999. The ship, manned by more than a dozen Marines and sailors, has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the offshore territory.

The Philippine government also maintained that there was no promise of removing the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea as claimed by China.

The National Security Council (NSC) also said that the current and previous administrations never made a commitment to China that they will remove the military vessel from Ayungin. —VAL, GMA Integrated News