Imee seeks clarity on 'flip-flopping' gov't views on Ayungin incident

During Tuesday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Committee Chair Senator Imee Marcos asked Executive Department officials to clarify their "flip-flopping" characterization of the June 17 incident in Ayungin Shoal that severely injured seven Filipino servicemen.

Marcos, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s sister, noted that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro had said that China's actions were "the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea." 

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. likewise likened the  Chinese Coast Guard's actions to an act of piracy.

"However, last Friday, Executive Secretary Bersamin labeled the matter as a mere accident or misunderstanding, and then less than 48 hours later,  Secretary Teodoro again said this is not an accident," Marcos recounted.

"Are we flip-flopping with the characterization of what occurred? It seems fairly clear from what we heard from our Navy and our Coast Guard what occurred, what exactly occurred, and how we term it. Kasi di rin kami  nakakaintindi at litong-lito na ang mamamayang Pilipino sa naririnig na  parang paiba-iba naman ata tayo," she quipped.

The lawmaker also pointed out that Bersamin's press conference in Malacañang came almost five days after the incident in Ayungin Shoal.

Teodoro, who was present at the hearing, explained that Bersamin used the term  "probably" before the word "misunderstanding" as the Executive Secretary "wanted to make sure of his facts."

"Dating Chief Justice po si [Executive Secretary] at sigurado po siya dapat sa facts niya...'yun ho ang disiplina  niya, yun ho ang training niya," Teodoro explained.

Still,  Marcos said that "it gave the impression" that the government was "downplaying the incident," noting further that the press conference was held after the meeting of the National Maritime Council.

"Ano ba ang nangyari diyan? Parang walang proper verification, sinalang siya sa presscon, nagsalita siya. Ngayon,  nilalaglag ng lahat. Anong klase yun?" the senator asked.

Marcos then asked Teodoro, "Where are we now?"

Teodoro said the Executive Department stood by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s statement in Palawan, in which he said the  Philippines would "not resort to the use of force or intimidation, or  deliberately inflict injury or harm to anyone" and that "we are not in  the business to instigate wars."

But the senator responded that her brother's statement was "very general."

"I mean, now the official characterization of what occurred in Ayungin?" she asked.

Teodoro then reiterated his statement that China's actions were a deliberate act.

"It was a deliberate, aggressive action by China and an illegal use of force. So it is not a misunderstanding or an accident and that is for the record, ma'am, under oath," Teodoro said responding to Marcos.

Asked if this is the official position of the government and if Bersamin  was of the same view, Teodoro said, "It is the position of the executive branch of the government." — DVM, GMA Integrated News