DND: China aggression in Philippine EEZ increased after US bases ousted

A Department of National Defense (DND) official said Tuesday that Chinese incursions and harassment of Filipino maritime vessels and fisherfolk inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) increased after the country kicked out the US military bases in the 1990s.

This was the response from Ignacio Madriaga, DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning after he was asked by Rizal Representative Wowo Fortes if the presence of the bases, particularly the US Navy base in Subic Bay and the US Air Force’s Clark Air Base, served as a deterrent to Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“If we look at the behavior of the Chinese, they started claiming those islands particularly within our territory when the US bases left the country,” Madriaga said during the public hearing on the series of aggressive acts by China within the EEZ.

The hearing was conducted by the House Committee on the West Philippine Sea chaired by Mandaluyong City solon Neptali Gonzales II.

“Although there have been some [incidents involving the Chinese] claiming the islands with Vietnam in the Paracel Islands [also during that period] ... they came in within our EEZ... they took the opportunity when the US forces left the country. So, it can be assumed that during the time of the Americans [having military bases] in the Philippines, (the Americans) also provided a deterrent presence on Chinese incursions within our EEZ,” Madriaga pointed out.

Controlled by China as part of its Hainan province, the Paracel Islands are also being claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

With the current situation, Fortes said the Philippines should be prepared for more acts of Chinese aggression in our territorial waters.

“With that in mind, we can very well anticipate continued aggression of the Chinese military in the area because we are way far behind their military strength,” Fortes added.

After the Americans closed its last base in 1992, the Philippines later inked an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US government in 2014. The pact allows access to US military personnel and their equipment inside Philippine military facilities for the prepositioning of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and the enhancement of their individual and collective defense capabilities.

Last October 22, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that Philippine and Chinese vessels in the Philippine EEZ were involved in a collision after a Chinese ship maneuvered dangerously against a PCG ship and a supply boat during a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, the most recent incident in a growing list of maritime encounters with Chinese forces. — DVM, GMA Integrated News