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Task force to propose 'new national strategy' following West PH Sea incidents

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Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This handout photo shows a civilian ship being targeted by a Chinese Coast Guard water cannon while attempting to resupply BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal on Dec. 10, 2023. Jay Tarriela/X" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/12/10/12102023-water-cannons-ayungin.jpg"/><figcaption>This handout photo shows a civilian ship being targeted by a Chinese Coast Guard water cannon while attempting to resupply BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal on Dec. 10, 2023. Jay Tarriela/X</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) will submit to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. its proposal on the “adjusted strategies” that the government should employ following recent incidents in the West Philippine Sea.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/23/task-force-calls-out-serious-escalation-by-china-in-west-philippine-sea">Task force calls out &#x27;serious escalation&#x27; by China in West Philippine Sea</a></li></ul>Over the weekend, two separate incidents of Chinese Coast Guard ships using water cannons to stop the Philippine vessels doing resupply missions to Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal were reported.“The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea has prepared a new national strategy on the West Philippine Sea, and we have made such adjustments given the recent developments. And we hope to be able to present this to the president very soon,” National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Deputy Director Jonathan Malaya said in a briefing.“So, if the question is if there will be adjustments to our movements, yes as soon as the president approves the national strategy, because the president himself is concerned in his recent statements yesterday,” he added. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), for its part, said that it has launched another diplomatic protest against China over these incidents.“Our Philippine embassy in Beijing has made a demarche to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday. The demarche included the agenda the incidents in the Bajo de Masinloc happened last Saturday, and in the Ayungin Shoal yesterday,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said. “The Department of Foreign Affairs has also launched a protest to the maritime communication mechanism yesterday, while the RORE mission was underway,” she added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/10/23/no-one-but-ph-has-right-legal-basis-marcos-jr-reiterates-ph-claim-in-wps">&#x27;No one but PH has right, legal basis&#x27;: Marcos Jr. reiterates PH claim in WPS</a></li></ul>Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian was also summoned on Monday afternoon.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/23/philippines-summons-chinese-envoy-over-sea-confrontations">Philippines summons Chinese envoy over sea confrontations</a></li></ul>On calls from some lawmakers to declare the Chinese ambassador as “persona non grata”, the DFA said it should be “seriously considered” given the possible implications.“PNG [persona non grata], when you do that, that is at a certain level already and they are both intended and unintended consequences, and that is a reason why a serious consideration should actually be undertaken,” Daza explained.<div>LARGEST FORCE</div>The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on the other hand shared the details of at least five “dangerous maneuvers” of Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia that resulted in damage to Philippine vessels doing resupply missions to the Ayungin Shoal.Water cannons were used on Philippine vessels BRP Cabra, BRP Sindangan, UM I, and M/L Kalayaan.PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela noted the “massive force” employed by China during the encounters with the Philippine resupply teams.“We were able to physically monitor 14 Chinese Maritime Militia and 22 Chinese Maritime Militia through AIS, which means they have deployed 36 Chinese Maritime Militia and eight China Coast Guard vessels. So, 36 plus 8, that’s 44, and then two PLA Navy, that’s 46. This is the largest number of maritime forces that we have documented so far in the previous months,” Tarriela said.While the Philippine Coast Guard vessels have water cannons as well, the PCG decided not to retaliate using the same attack to Chinese vessels.“We believe that if we are going to be consistent with that kind of behavior as a coast guard organization, we don’t need to go down to the level of the Chinese Coast Guard, using their water cannon to use as an offensive weapon and damaging the other vessels,” Tarriela said.“We choose to maintain our moral high ground. You know, if they are going to choose to do that kind of barbaric attack to prevent the Philippine Coast Guard or the Armed Forces of the Philippines in completing our resupply operation, then let them be so,” he added.Amid all these encounters, the NTF-WPS reported that the resupply missions were “successful”.“We were able to delivery thousands of liters of fuel to some 30 fishing boats, as well as food and Noche Buena packages for them and their families. Some 30 tons of fish was also caught in BDM waters as result of the mission by DA-BFAR,” Malaya said.“The regular RORE mission to BRP Sierra Madre was also a partial success with UM 1 successfully reaching LS-57 and unloading supplies to the gallant Filipino troops stationed therein,” he added.“Now on the part of the disinformation campaign, they are also on the losing side, because we have shown to the world, that the narrative coming from China is not true and it’s part of disinformation and fake news. Therefore, in so far as the narrative in the global community, it is the Philippines side that’s winning,” Malaya also said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, for its part, said that it has launched another diplomatic protest against China over these incidents.

Task force to propose 'new national strategy' following West PH Sea incidents

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Task force to propose 'new national strategy' following West PH Sea incidents

Joyce Balancio,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 11, 2023 04:27 PM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

Philippine Coast Guard

China

Beijing

Chinese vessels

WPS

Chinese maritime militia

DFA

Department of Foreign Affairs

National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea

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