Senate to seek full briefing from DFA regarding latest Ayungin Shoal incident

The Senate will seek a "full briefing" from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the latest incident in Ayungin Shoal between Filipino troops and Chinese Coast Guard personnel that left seven Filipinos injured, Senate President Francis Escudero said Thursday.

In a statement, Escudero expressed concern over the escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

"The escalation of tensions in the West Philippine Sea is alarming, and the Senate will be seeking a full briefing from the DFA on the latest incident, as well as the efforts being undertaken to address this," he said.

Pending the briefing, Escudero reiterated his call for dialogues between Philippine and Chinese officials to prevent the further escalation of tension in the region.

He also said the DFA "should go beyond the filing of diplomatic protests each time an incident occurs, and must explore every means to conduct a meaningful dialogue with their counterparts from Beijing with the end in view of avoiding further escalation, without giving up any of our rights and privileges in our claimed territory vis-a-vis theirs." 

Escudero also urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines to "explore alternative methods" to deliver supplies to BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded ship that serves as the Philippines' post in Ayungin Shoal.

This, he said, would ensure that Filipino troops are resupplied "while minimizing the risks and achieving our desired objectives."

The AFP last Tuesday confirmed that a Philippine Navy service member suffered "severe injury" following a collision between a Chinese ship and a Philippine vessel performing rotation and resupply mission (RORE) in Ayungin Shoal in the WPS. It was later revealed that the service member lost a thumb during the incident.

The Philippines, through the DFA, and the United States have denounced the incident.

The Ayungin Shoal, which China calls Ren’ai Reef, is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its continental shelf.

READ: EXPLAINER: What is the Ayungin Shoal and why is it important?

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Philippine government sued China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in 2013. The Court ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

In the same ruling, the PCA said the Ayungin Shoal, which is also called Second Thomas Shoal, the Spratly Islands, Panganiban or Mischief Reef, and Recto or Reed Bank are within the Philippine EEZ. The Scarborough Shoal, meanwhile, was deemed as a common fishing ground.

Beijing, however, does not recognize the ruling.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News