Marcos told AFP to de-escalate tensions in WPS, says AFP chief

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deescalate tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea, AFP chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said on Thursday.

At a news briefing following a conference with the commander-in-chief, Brawner indicated that the rules of engagement were laid out clearly.

"The guidance also of our President to our troops is not to escalate the situation on the ground or on the seas so to speak,” Brawner said.

Brawner said Marcos expressed his appreciation for the Filipino soldiers who had to practice restraint while under orders to defend the country's sovereignty and interests in the West Philippine Sea, which China is claiming despite an arbitral award in favor of the Philippines in 2016.

“Sabi nya mahirap talaga yung ginagawa ninyo dahil habang dinedepensahan niyo yung ating bansa you are also practicing restraint, pinipigilan nila yung sarili nila ano kahit na gustong gusto na nilang lumaban ng todo ay hindi nila kayang gawin,” he said.

(He said that what you are doing is difficult because while you are defending our country, you are also practicing restraint, they are restraining themselves, and even if they want to fight all the way, they cannot do it.)

On June 17, a Philippine Navy sailor lost his thumb and several others were injured after Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) personnel repeatedly rammed Philippine rubber boats to stop them from delivering food supplies, firearms, and other necessities to BRP Sierra Madre.

The CCG personnel were seen brandishing knives, an axe, and pointed sticks. Based on the videos and photos released by the Philippine military, the Navy boats were slashed and the navigational screen was smashed.

Payment for damages

Also on Thursday, the AFP said it was demanding P60 million in damages from China following the destruction of the Philippine equipment and vessels during June 17 incident.

Brawner said he wrote to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. so his letter could be forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which will reach out to its counterparts in China. He noted the amount does not cover the cost of the firearms that the Chinese personnel seized from them.

According to Brawner, the AFP also wants China to shoulder the expenses on the reconstruction of the hand of the Filipino Navy officer who lost his thumb due to the incident.

“We are also looking into the possibility of charging them with the cost of restructuring the hand of [Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo] kasi ooperahan po siya para bumalik 'yung function ng kaniyang kamay,” he said.

(We are also looking into the possibility of charging them with the cost of restructuring the hand of Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo because he will undergo surgery to restore the function of his hand.)

'Lalaban tayo'

During the command conference, Brawner said, the AFP suggested to Marcos some options for the Philippines’ next actions following the June 17 incident in Ayungin.

“We have presented to our President several options that the AFP will be doing not just in terms of performing our rotation and resupply missions but including the other operations in the WPS,” he said.

The AFP chief said that in the next rotation and resupply mission for the troops in BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, they will not allow Chinese personnel to bully Filipino personnel again.

“Noong sinabi kong lalaban tayo, ang ibig sabihin ko po doon, hindi natin hahayaan na basta na lang i-bully tayo ng ganun katulad ng nakaraan nga. Of course, may mga dalang armas nga 'yung ating mga katunggali. But in the next RoRe, basta hindi po tayo papayag na basta na lang apihin,” he said.

(When I said we will fight, I meant that we will not let them just bully us like they did in the past. Of course, our adversaries have weapons. But in the next RoRe, we will not allow them to bully us.)

In an ambush interview, Brawner said, “We will make sure they will be able to defend themselves."

Bilateral meeting

Weeks after the June 17 incident, Philippine and Chinese officials met in Manila in bilateral talks meant to de-escalate and manage disputes in the WPS.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong met with Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro at the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila

China called on the Philippines to stop "maritime infringement" and move towards stabilizing their relations and protect these from "further deterioration."

During the talk, China reiterated its sovereignty over Ren'ai Jiao, Beijing's name for Ayungin Shoal, and "the adjacent waters, and its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters."

"The Chinese side urges the Philippine side to stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, earnestly abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), return to the right track of properly handling disputes through dialogue and consultation, jointly manage the situation at Ren'ai Jiao with the Chinese side, promote the easing and cooling down of the maritime situation, and stabilize China-Philippines relations from further deterioration," China Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

For its part, the DFA said in a statement Tuesday that the June 17 incident was also discussed during the meeting. Lazaro and Chen , the DFA said, "had frank and constructive discussions on the situation in the South China Sea."

"Noting recent incidents in the South China Sea, both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction," the department said.

"The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions," it added.

While there was "substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea," the DFA said "significant differences remain." — NB/RF/VDV GMA Integrated News