RoRe missions to continue despite China harassment –NSC

The Philippines would continue with its regular rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions in the West Philippine Sea despite harassment by Chinese vessels, National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said Monday.

"We will just continue to do what we are supposed to be doing, which is implementing the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, exercising our rights, our sovereign rights. We’ll continue with resupply missions,” Malaya said on the state-run Bagong Pilipinas program.

“Whether it is Ayungin Shoal, whether it is in Rizal Reef, even if there is harassment from the Chinese Coast Guard or Navy, our personnel have no fear. They will continue to do what is necessary: to supply our people and of course, [protect] our fisherfolk catching fish in the West Philippine Sea."

The Philippine Navy recently warned off a Chinese Navy vessel that was shadowing a PN vessel as it sailed for Pag-asa island.

The July 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling issued in The Hague upheld the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, outlawed Chinese aggression in the common fishing ground of the Scarborough Shoal, and rejected China’s expansive nine-dash-line claim of the entire South China Sea.

China has refused to recognize the court ruling.

Malaya, however, was firm that China could not impose its views on the West Philippine Sea because it had no authority to do so, as stated in the Hague ruling.

“Despite the aggression coming from the Chinese Coast Guard or the Peoples Liberation Army Navy vessels in the West Philippine Sea, we won’t leave Filipinos out there behind," Malaya emphasized.

"We will continue to conduct maritime patrols; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and sovereignty patrols in the West Philippine Sea to assert our national interest.”

China’s message

For his part, maritime security expert Renato de Castro said China’s recent actions could be way of sending a message to the Philippines and the US.

“It is not only in a way challenging the Philippines, it's also sending a message to the United States na hindi kami takot sa inyo (we are not afraid of you). We are willing to escalate it and we are not intimidated by the Mutual Defense Treaty with the US,” said de Castro in Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras”.

Data from GMA News Research showed the latest West Philippine Sea incident was the sixth time that China harassed Philippine ships engaged in a RoRe mission. — DVM, GMA Integrated News