China Ship's Ramming of BFAR Vessel 'Unacceptable Breach of Int'l Law' --Teodoro

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday denounced the ramming of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel by a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship in the West Philippine Sea as a breach of international law that the Philippines cannot ignore. In a “24 Oras” report by Chino Gaston on Monday, the Defense Chief noted that the offense could have even been classified as a "criminal act" had anyone been injured in the incident. “Kung may nasaktan doon, that’s a criminal act na ginawa nila eh [Had anyone been hurt, what they did would be considered a criminal act]. It’s not merely a violation of maritime rules and regulations but a criminal act by the Chinese Coast Guard,” Teodoro said. He added that the defense department will not take such a violation of international law lightly. “We will be addressing that. I’m not going to talk about specifics now pero [but], definitely, our personnel are already developing options for addressing this,” Teodoro added. The incident occurred last Friday, September 18, near Abad Santos Shoal—located 54 nautical miles off Palawan and well within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Reports indicated that the crew of the BFAR vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat grew alarmed as CCG vessel 21585 slowly approached. In Gaston’s report, the Chinese vessel reportedly crisscrossed behind the BFAR ship before ultimately sideswiping its stern. While no BFAR crew members were injured, the ship sustained severe damage. The government’s security cluster is reportedly drafting a response plan to present to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding China’s aggressive maneuvers, which appear to be moving closer to the Philippines. Teodoro stated that this is a pressing challenge the country must address immediately. “Bagong hamon ito dahil mas malapit sa atin at kailangan addressin din talaga natin nang mas mabilis,” Teodoro said. (This is a new challenge because it occurred closer to home, and we really need to respond faster.) “‘Yung sasabihin natin na we will always play the victim—we are not playing the victim, but we are just bringing facts to light na dati hindi lalabas ‘yan [at] ngayon nilalabas natin. At aminado naman tayo [na] napakatagal na panahong pinabayaan natin itong capabilities,” he added. (Some say we always play the victim—we are not playing the victim, but simply bringing facts to light that were previously kept hidden. And we admit that we neglected these capabilities for a very long time.) For his part, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton condemned the incident, describing it as a “deliberate ramming” by the CCG. “We commend the sustained professionalism of our Philippine Allies in the face of this dangerous, destabilizing act,” Lipton said in a statement on X. In response, the Chinese Embassy rejected Lipton’s statement, calling it an attempt to incite and encourage the Philippines to intrude and cause trouble at sea. The Chinese Embassy also claimed that the BFAR vessel ignored warnings from the CCG, alleging that it intentionally altered its course and crossed in front of the Chinese ship, which ultimately led to the collision. In another development on Monday, Teodoro opened the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales. The event brought together navies from ASEAN nations and key allies, including the US, the UK, Australia, and Japan. The Chinese delegation did not attend the meeting, which featured joint cooperative activities among warships in the waters near Bajo de Masinloc—an area China occupies and claims despite falling inside the Philippines' EEZ. — Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/BM, GMA News