Infringing China's maritime rights? AFP says PH not expansionist

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday slammed China's Southern Theater Command following the Philippines’ joint drills with the United States and Canada in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), saying that the country is not expanding and is just only protecting its own territory.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Padilla was reacting to the statement of Southern Theater Command spokesperson Tian Junli that the Philippines tried to cover up its alleged illegal infringement on China's maritime rights and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea through military provocations and media hype.

The AFP official cited the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision which rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the area.

“Ang magandang i-point out dito is ang bansa po natin, we are not expansionists. Hindi tayo nanghihimasok sa ibang property ng ibang bansa. Tayo po are merely defending our own territory na nakakapaloob sa international laws,” Padilla said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(The good thing to point out here is that our country is not expansionist. We do not interfere with the territory of other countries. We are merely defending our own territory that is within international laws.)

“Sinabi naman na po ng international na batas na itong exclusive economic zone, itong sakop niya, ito ang dine-defend natin. Hindi po tayo nag-e-expand sa iba pong lugar,” she added.

(The international law has already stated what is our exclusive economic zone, and that is what we are defending. We are not expanding to other areas.)

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).

The Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. It ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

China, however, rejected the Philippines’ call to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the decision "illegal and invalid.”

On Wednesday, militaries from the Philippines, US, and Canada participated in a joint exercise within the Southeast Asian nation's exclusive economic zone, just days after the conduct of the previous exercise involving the Philippines, Australia, and Japan.

AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the Philippines, US, and Canada joined the 7th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity to show "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific."

During the conduct of the joint drills, the AFP said Chinese presence was monitored, particularly  three People's Liberation Army Navy ships, one oceanographic surveillance ship, and one helicopter. —KG, GMA Integrated News