The Philippines and the US conducted a joint voyage into the disputed South China Sea (SCS) on Monday, Manila's armed forces said on Tuesday, just days after China used water cannon to injure three Filipino fishermen – an act the defense chief described as “inhumane”.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Philippine Armed Forces said three A-29B Super Tucano turboprop warplanes and FA-50 fighter jets joined the exercises with a Philippines missile frigate. BRP Miguel MalvarWhile America deployed its guided-missile cruiser USS Robert SmallsA maritime surveillance aircraft and a helicopter.
The joint sailing demonstrated “the shared commitment of the Philippines and the US to maintaining the rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” the Philippine military said in a statement.
The joint naval exercise came soon after the Philippines accused China's coast guard of endangering the lives of Filipino fishermen near a disputed maritime zone in the South China Sea. This also followed 9th The Philippine-US Maritime Cooperative Activity was held last December 9-10.
China's coast guard fired water cannons at Philippine fishing boats in Sabina Shoal on Friday, injuring three Filipino fishermen and damaging two vessels, the Manila coast guard said.
On Monday, the US expressed support for the Philippines and condemned Beijing's increasingly aggressive behavior in the waterway.
Manila and Washington are longtime allies, with their security ties based on a mutual defense treaty dating back to the 1950s that obliges both countries to come to each other's aid in the event of armed attack in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea.
Philippine officials have described China's actions as coercive and escalating tensions, while Beijing says its patrols and enforcement measures are legitimate actions to protect its sovereignty.
'Dangerous and inhumane'
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. said the actions taken by Chinese maritime forces against Filipino fishermen in Escoda were “dangerous and inhumane”, adding that Manila has “indisputable sovereignty” over the facility.
Sabina Shoal is located about 150 kilometers west of the Philippine province of Palawan.
China claims authority over almost the entire South China Sea through its so-called nine-dash line, a claim that overlaps with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
A UN-backed arbitration ruling in 2016 voided China's sweeping claims, although Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.
“China’s claims of undisputed sovereignty over the feature are illegal and baseless,” Mr. Teodoro said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment.
Its Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the steps taken were necessary to protect its territorial sovereignty.
Mr Teodoro said, “The water cannons, aggressive maneuvers and cutting of anchor lines resulted in physical injuries to Filipino civilians, which are completely inconsistent with the duty of all states to ensure the safety of human life.”
The Philippines will continue to support Filipino fishermen fishing in the South China Sea, he said, adding that the government will take “appropriate diplomatic and legal measures” following Friday's incident.
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hon. Theresa P. Lazzaro meets Palace press officer Clarissa A. Castro had earlier said that the Philippine government would deliver a demarche to the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Monday.
The Southeast Asian nation has become more reliant on multinational cooperation to bolster its military capabilities, and it has held several joint exercises with allies across the country as part of efforts to boost its security amid growing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. , Kenneth Christian L. basilio
