⚖️ Philippines Condemns China's Armed Swarm Near Second Thomas Shoal as Australia Pledges Support.
Military infrastructure agreement represents strategic shift as allies prepare for China threat
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Philippine troops hailed for blocking Chinese boarding attempt at Ayungin Shoal
Lawmakers on Sunday praised the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for fending off what they said was a Chinese attempt to board the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal, calling the move a firm defense of the country’s sovereignty. “Our soldiers are the frontline guardians of our sovereignty, and we stand firmly behind them in this critical mission,” Rep. Paolo Ortega of La Union said in a statement joined by House Deputy Speaker Jay Khonghun of Zambales, Manila Rep. Ernix Dionisio and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong.
AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. had ordered troops manning the grounded World War II-era ship to remain on guard against incursions. The Sierra Madre has served as a Philippine outpost at Ayungin since 1999, but resupply missions to the shoal are regularly shadowed by Chinese vessels. “This incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing threats to our nation’s interests,” Khonghun said, adding that the military had sent a “powerful message” that the Philippines will not yield its territory.
Former congressman Robert Ace Barbers also commended the sailors, noting that they were able to repel the Chinese despite being limited to rubber boats. He said Beijing may be stepping up its presence in the area after two Chinese ships collided with each other near Panatag Shoal earlier this month while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. Lawmakers urged continued unity and support for the military, with Adiong stressing that the Sierra Madre “embodies our nation’s resolve.”
Teodoro: PH will not shift stance despite Chinese buildup at Ayungin
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Monday the Philippines will not alter its position in Ayungin Shoal despite an increase in Chinese vessels in the area, where the grounded BRP Sierra Madre continues to serve as a military outpost. “To change our stance will be [a] great detriment of our national interest. That is something nobody can do under our Constitution and our moral obligation,” Teodoro told reporters.
The defense chief said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had stressed that Manila must not compromise its national interest, adding that other countries back the Philippines’ position in the West Philippine Sea. While he noted no immediate threat to the Sierra Madre crew, Teodoro said troops remain on high alert. He suggested China’s movements near Ayungin may be linked to the ongoing ALON military exercises between Philippine and Australian forces.
Teodoro also dismissed as “fake news” reports that the Sierra Madre had been towed away by China and claims by a Chinese academic that Batanes belonged to Beijing. The rusting World War II-era ship has been grounded at Ayungin since 1999 and has become a symbol of Philippine sovereignty in the Spratlys. The shoal lies 105 nautical miles off Palawan, within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone, but remains heavily contested as Beijing asserts sweeping claims over the South China Sea.
Chinese militia ships return to Panatag after storm; research vessels gone
Chinese militia vessels have reappeared near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal following the passage of Tropical Depression Isang, according to a maritime monitoring group. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center, said Monday that while Chinese research vessels had departed, five China Coast Guard ships and six militia boats were again visible in the area.
Powell noted that research mothership Zhu Hai Yun, capable of deploying more than 50 drones, appeared to be heading back to China after leaving the shoal over the weekend. Its departure followed the exit of another research ship, Xiang Yang Hong 10, which had been in Panatag since mid-August. Only militia and coast guard ships remained as of Monday, he said.
The renewed Chinese presence comes two weeks after a collision between a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship and a China Coast Guard vessel during an attempt to block a Philippine Coast Guard mission for Filipino fishermen. Both Chinese ships sustained damage in the mishap, while BRP Suluan managed to evade the operation. China has maintained control over Panatag since 2012, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that declared the shoal a shared fishing ground for China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Australia's Philippine Base Deal Signals New Regional Security Reality
Is Australia preparing to forward deploy troops and aircraft to the Philippines?
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles has signed a deal with his Filipino counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., with the intention of constructing eight military infrastructure projects in five undisclosed locations in the Philippines.
Of course, Canberra cannot start actual construction until a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) is finalized and signed by next year. There were scant details about the specific infrastructure to be put up by the Australians, possibly in the northern and western parts of the archipelago. These are the areas where Australian troops hold drills with Filipino troops under the 2012 Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.
85% of Filipinos distrust China, see it as biggest threat. A vast majority of Filipinos continue to view China with suspicion, with 85 percent expressing distrust and nearly three in four identifying it as the country’s greatest threat, a new nationwide survey by OCTA Research showed Monday. Only 15 percent of respondents said the Philippines should trust China.
Civic leader: China fears West Philippine Sea documentary exposing abuses. Civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia said China is trying to suppress a new documentary on the West Philippine Sea because it highlights the suffering of Filipino fishermen and the country’s fight for sovereignty. The film, Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea, portrays the daily struggles of fisherfolk and soldiers guarding disputed waters. “They are trying to stop this film because it exposes what they do not want the world to know,” Goitia said, accusing Beijing of “lies” and “abuse.”
Sierra Madre troops in ‘high spirits’ despite tensions. Philippine troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre remain upbeat and undaunted despite recent maritime confrontations involving Chinese forces, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command chief said Sunday. Vice Adm. Alfonso Torres Jr. said he had spoken with the Marines aboard the grounded warship in Ayungin Shoal, who told him they were carrying out their “normal days’ work.”
Analysts warn China’s online claims to Batanes could stir tensions. Analysts on Monday raised concern over a surge of Chinese social media posts claiming the northern Philippine province of Batanes once belonged to China, warning the narratives could shape public opinion and bolster Beijing’s maritime assertions. The online claims coincided with unusual China Coast Guard patrols near Batanes earlier this month, with vessels tracked on both sides of the archipelago, according to maritime monitor Ray Powell of Stanford University’s SeaLight program.
Scarborough Shoal collision raises risk of heightened South China Sea tensions. The collision between a Chinese navy destroyer and a China Coast Guard cutter near Scarborough Shoal earlier this month has triggered concern that Beijing may be shifting toward more aggressive tactics in the South China Sea. The Aug. 11 incident occurred as the vessels attempted to block Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Suluan during a supply mission for fishermen, leaving the coast guard cutter severely damaged, according to reports.
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