CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Mga sundalong nagtatayo ng kampo sa baryo, inisnayp ng BHB-Western Samar

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis (Tagalog edition) propaganda article posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) PRWC Website (Jun 15, 2024): Mga sundalong nagtatayo ng kampo sa baryo, inisnayp ng BHB-Western Samar (Soldiers setting up camp in the village, sniped by NPA-Western Samar)

June 15, 2024

Inisnayp ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan (BHB)-Western Samar (Arnulfo Ortiz Command) ang mga sundalo ng 87th IB na nagkakampo sa Sityo San Pedro, Barangay Poblacion 3, San Jose de Buan, Western Samar noong Hunyo 9. Nagtatayo ng bakod sa loob ng sityo ang mga mga sundalo para sa plano nilang detatsment dito.

Napatay sa isnayp ang sundalong si Corporal Marvin Calvintos ng 87th IB. Pinaulanan ng mga Pulang mandirigma ng bala ang mga sundalo na nagresulta sa pagkasugat ng marami sa kanila.

“Ang pag-isnayp ay parte ng pagpaparusa ng BHB sa mga sundalong inirereklamo ng masa dahil sa mahaba nang listahan ng mga paglabag nito sa karapatang-tao ng mga taga-San Pedro,” ayon sa BHB-Western Samar.

Duwag na gumanti ang mga sundalo ng 87th IB at Task Force Storm ng 8th ID sa mga sibilyan at komunidad. Kinanyon nila ang mga bundok at bukid malapit sa naturang sityo na nagdulot ng ligalig sa mga magsasaka. Karamihan sa mga magsasaka ay hindi na nakapagsaka sa kanilang kaingin. Ang iba ay natulak na magbakwit sa takot na tamaan ng mga bomba.

Ang San Pedro ay militarisado na simula ng taong 2024. Naitala dito ang patung-patong na mga paglabag sa karapatang-tao.

Noong Pebrero, ninakaw ng mga nag-ooperasyong sundalo ang mga manok ng isang magsasaka. Ipinagtatapon naman ng mga sundalo ang bigas at mga palay ng isa pang magsasaka. Sa buwan ding iyon, isang magsasaka na nasa kanyang bukid ang tinangkang barilin ng isang sundalo.

Noon ding Marso, halos isang linggong pinagbawalan ng mga sundalo ang mga magsasaka na pumunta sa kanilang bukirin pagkatapos na magkaron ng engkwentro ang BHB at mga elemento ng 87th IB sa Barangay Can-Aponte, San Jose de Buan.

Sa hatinggabi ng araw ng engkwentro, isang kabataan ang tinangkang dukutin ng mga sundalo sa duda nilang kasama siya sa mga naka-engkwentro. Napatunayan ng mga magulang na hindi kasama sa engkwentro ang naturang kabataan.

Samantala, tuluy-tuloy ang pagsisikap ng hukbong bayan na ipagtanggol ang masang magsasaka mula sa pag-atake ng mga sundalo. Naglunsad ng isnayp ang BHB-Western Samar laban sa kampo militar sa Barangay Santo Ñiño, Motiong noong Abril 3. Napatay dito ang isang sundalo at elemento ng CAFGU. Muling pinaputukan ng hukbong bayan ang kampo pagkatapos ng 30 minuto.

Noon namang Mayo 14, pinaputukan ng isang yunit ng BHB ang mga sundalo na nakakampo sa Barangay San Fernando, Jiabong.

Ang nasabing mga taktikal na opensiba ay bahagi ng pagtugon ng BHB-Western Samar sa panawagan ng Partido na pag-apuyin ang digmang bayan sa pamamagitan ng paglulunsad ng mga kakayaning taktikal na opensiba para makapagpalakas at maiangat ang kakayahan ng mga Pulang kumander at mandirigma.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/mga-sundalong-nagtatayo-ng-kampo-sa-baryo-inisnayp-ng-bhb-western-samar/

CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: Dagdag na kaso, isinampa laban sa 6 na aktibistang inaresto sa rali noong Mayo Uno

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis (Tagalog edition) propaganda article posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) PRWC Website (Jun 16, 2024): Dagdag na kaso, isinampa laban sa 6 na aktibistang inaresto sa rali noong Mayo Uno (Additional charges were filed against 6 activists who were arrested at the rally on May 1st)

 

June 16, 2024

Nagsampa ng karagdagang kasong kriminal ang mga tauhan ng Manila Police Disitrict (MPD) laban sa anim na aktibistang inaresto sa isang rali noong Mayo 1 malapit sa embahada ng US sa Maynila. Sinampahan ang mga aktibista ng kasong malicious mischief, dagdag sa dating mga kasong iligal na asembliya (paglabag sa Batas Pambansa 880) at direct assault.

Inaresto ang anim na kabataan noong Mayo 1 habang nagpuprotesta laban sa Balikatan war games. Pinagtulung-tulungan silang inaresto ng mga pulis, kinaladkad sa sasakyan nito at isang linggong ikinulong. Nakalaya lamang ang mga aktibista noong Mayo 7, matapos magbayad ng kabuuang pyansang ₱252,000.

Sa desisyon ng prosekyutor sa Maynila noong Mayo 28, isinampa sa kanila ang malicious mischief dahil sa paratang ng pagsira sa kagamitan ng mga pulis. Samantala, ibinasura nito ang reklamong disobedience laban sa anim.

Kinundena ng Defend CAMANAVA, alyansa ng mga tagapagtanggol ng karapatang-tao, ang pagsasampa ng MPD ng tinawag nitong mga gawa-gawang kaso laban sa mga aktibista. Matatandaang inireklamo rin nila at ng iba pang mga grupo ang mabagal at sinasabi nilang sadyang pinatagal na pagproseso sa kaso at petisyon para sa pyansa ng mga biktima noong Mayo.

Samantala, wala pang anunsyo ang mga grupo sa karapatang-tao kaugnay ng nauna nilang ipinahayag na planong pagsasampa ng kontra-asunto laban sa mga elemento ng pulis na sangkot sa marahas na pagbuwag sa protesta at piskalya na humawak ng kaso dahil sa sadyang pag-antala sa paglalabas ng resolusyon sa kaso.

Apat sa mga biktima ay mga estudyante mula sa University of the Philippines habang ang dalawa ay mga aktibista ng Anakbayan-South Caloocan at Defend CAMANAVA.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/dagdag-na-kaso-isinampa-laban-sa-6-na-aktibistang-inaresto-sa-rali-noong-mayo-uno/

PAF to continue WPS patrols amid China's 'no trespass' rule

 Posted to MSN (Jun 15, 2024): PAF to continue WPS patrols amid China's 'no trespass' rule (By GISELLE OMBAY/GMA Integrated News)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said yesterday it will continue to conduct maritime patrols over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), even as China implements the new Chinese coast guard rules to detain foreigners for trespassing in the disputed South China Sea.

Air Force spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said that conducting maritime patrols over Philippine territorial waters and features within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is part of the Air Force’s inherent duty to protect Filipinos.

Castillo said it is important for Filipinos, particularly fishermen to feel the presence of the PAF in the EEZ.

“It is an inherent duty of the Philippine Air Force to conduct maritime patrol over our territorial waters and the areas within our exclusive economic zone. The most important thing is for our fishermen to feel that the PAF is there for them,” she said in an interview on dzBB.

“Our maritime patrol continues, to ensure that we monitor all activities both in the air and on the sea, here in our exclusive economic zone and our territorial waters,” Castillo said.

She said the PAF has started using drones to monitor the country’s territorial waters.

“Aside from manned aircraft, we are now also using unmanned aerial vehicles in monitoring different areas of interest,” Castillo added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Romeo Brawner urged Filipino fishermen to keep fishing in the country’s EEZ in the South China Sea, despite China’s new coastguard rules which took effect on June 15, and he gave assurance that Philippine authorities are “discussing a number of steps to be undertaken in order for us to protect our fishermen.”

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, as Beijing continues to refuse to honor the international ruling that declared its claims have “no legal basis.”

Cause for concern

The Philippines expressed serious concern over China’s new coast guard regulations, which say they can detain foreigners “suspected of violating management of border entry and exit,” with detention lasting up to 60 days in “complicated cases.”

President Marcos last month called the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation.

China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels have used water cannons against Philippine boats multiple times in the contested waters, where collisions have injured Filipino soldiers.

Manila warned Beijing it would be in direct violation of international law if it enforces the regulations in the waters and maritime features of the illegal 10-dash line that covers areas in the West Philippine Sea.

The new rules would also enforce a 2021 law explicitly allowing the CCG to fire on foreign vessels.

The United States said the “purported regulations” raised significant legal concerns.

Chinese “domestic law has no applicability to other states’ flagged vessels in other states’ exclusive economic zones or in the high seas,” a US State Department spokesperson told AFP. “Enforcement would be highly escalatory and detrimental to regional peace and security.”

The official said Washington “unequivocally rejects” China’s “sweeping and unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea.

“We’ve urged Beijing – and all claimants – to comport their maritime claims with international law,” the spokesperson said.

Criticism from the G7

The Group of Seven bloc on Friday criticized what it called “dangerous” incursions by China in the waterway.

“We oppose China’s militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea,” read a G7 statement at the end of a summit on the weekend.

The South China Sea is a vital waterway, where Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims in some parts.

Most recently, however, confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict over the sea that could involve the US and other allies.

Trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade passes through the South China Sea annually, and huge unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under its seabed, though estimates vary greatly. The sea is also important as a source of fish for growing populations.

China has defended its new coast guard rules. A foreign ministry spokesman said last month that they were intended to “better uphold order at sea.”

And the Chinese defense minister warned this month that there were “limits” to Beijing’s restraint in the South China Sea.

China has also been angered in the past by US and other Western warships sailing through the South China Sea.

The US Navy and others undertake such voyages to assert the freedom of navigation in international waters, but Beijing considers them violations of its sovereignty.

Chinese and US forces have had a series of close encounters in the South China Sea.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/17/2363393/paf-patrols-continue-amid-china-no-trespass-rule

China, Philippines Vessels Face Off as Tensions Escalate

Posted to MSN (Jun 15, 2024): China, Philippines Vessels Face Off as Tensions Escalate (By Andreo Calonzo/Bloomberg)

Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off in multiple clashes in the South China Sea over the weekend as tensions continued to escalate between the two countries over maritime territory, prompting the US to reiterate its commitment to defend Manila.

The Philippines’ sea task force said its vessels were damaged after being “directly targeted” on Sunday by a Chinese coast guard ship with a water cannon during a supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. A Filipino boat was also rammed by a Chinese vessel, the task force said in a statement.

China’s coast guard said the Philippine boat ignored warnings and “deliberately collided” with its vessel, which was sailing normally for law enforcement purposes. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines, the coast guard said in a statement.

“The Philippines should immediately stop its infringements and strictly control frontline provocations,” China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said on Weibo. The Chinese authority will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights, he said.

The actions taken by China’s ships around Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Reef “reflect not only reckless disregard for the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos, but also for international law,” the US State Department said in a statement.

“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of these dangerous and unlawful actions,” it added, as it reaffirmed the two nations’ 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

China has laid sweeping claims over the South China Sea, an assertion that’s been met by growing pushback in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose administration has publicized Beijing’s tactics in the disputed waters.

Marcos has slammed China’s “dangerous actions” against Philippine ships, saying they’re an “outright and blatant violation of international law.”

“No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said in a post on X late on Sunday, using Manila’s term for the South China Sea.

Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner Jr. who was aboard the resupply boat that was rammed by a Chinese coast guard vessel, said he witnessed the incident himself. “I was furious with what China did and I felt sorry for our troops. They go through this at every resupply mission,” he told reporters.

A group of 200 civilians from the Philippines had set sail to the disputed waters on Sunday and were forced to cut short their trip after they said they were shadowed by four Chinese vessels including two navy ships. The convoy, escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard, had planned to go near Second Thomas Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands to deliver supplies to fishing communities.

The group of youth leaders, fisherfolk and media personnel decided on “erring on the side of caution” and returning to Palawan province after the “constant shadowing,” its organizer said.

Manila on Saturday reported that the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Filipino civilian ships near Scarborough Shoal, drawing US condemnation.

The US has pledged to continue bolstering ties with Indo-Pacific allies to counter Beijing’s expansive claims in the crucial waterway. The Philippines has strengthened its longstanding defense alliance with Washington, expanding access for American soldiers and holding joint patrols in contested waters.

--With assistance from Felix Tam, Manolo Serapio Jr., Natalie Choy and Cliff Venzon.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-philippines-vessels-face-off-in-second-day-of-clashes/ar-AA1lhwpt?ocid=msedgdhp&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

PH-US forces hold live-fire exercise in Zambales, Ilocos Norte

Posted to MSN News (Jun 15, 2924): PH-US forces hold live-fire exercise in Zambales, Ilocos Norte (By GMA Integrated)

Philippine and United States troops conducted a live fire exercise off the coast of Zambales and Ilocos Norte as part of the annual Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA).

In a statement from the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) on Sunday, units from the US Marine Corps (USMC) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted a live-fire event off the coast of Camp Bojeador in Ilocos Norte and in waters to the west of Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command (NETDC) in Zambales.

MASA is a joint PH-US military exercise in the Philippines, which focuses on “mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts”.

This year’s MASA is being conducted from June 3 until 21.

On the ground, Philippine Marines used ground-based artillery to engage staged maritime targets made of wood and concrete in waters four nautical miles due west of Camp Bojeador.

US Marines, meanwhile, provided fire coordination support to PMC forces as they engaged the targets “to increase bilateral coordination and proficiency among U.S.-Philippine forces”.

In Zambales, USMC F-35B Lightning II multi-role stealth fighters operating out of Clark Air Base in Pampanga conducted air strikes on simulated maritime targets in waters three nautical miles west of NETDC.

"Philippine unmanned aerial systems supported both live-fire events to increase maritime domain awareness capabilities and to ensure the safe execution of the training events,” I MEF said.

Authorities said that the Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, and air traffic control authorities cleared and blocked the areas used for the training prior to the live-fire events to ensure that "no one was affected in the impact area". — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/ph-us-forces-hold-live-fire-exercise-in-zambales-ilocos-norte/ar-BB1ojv6w

Local shipbuilder revamps Phl Navy missile boats

From the Daily Tribune (Jun 15, 2024): Local shipbuilder revamps Phl Navy missile boats (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

A local shipbuilder refurbished three of the Philippine Navy’s missile-capable warships, signifying that the domestic marine solutions industry can keep up with the country’s push for self-reliant defense posture.

A marine solutions provider, Propmech Corporation, announced it has completed a “comprehensive maintenance and refurbishment work” on the naval assets—multi-purpose attack craft (MPAC)—in its marine solutions facility in Subic, Zambales.

The MPAC vessels were commissioned by the Philippine Navy in 2009, and have been useful to the navy’s critical operations such as rescue missions, humanitarian aid, logistics, and counter-terrorism operations.

These assets, mainly designed for littoral zones, were also crucial to the Navy’s confrontation with Abu Sayyaf Group off the coast of Sulu in November 2020.

Having local marine solutions facilities can also contribute to the government’s implementation of its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, which aims to defend the country’s sea lanes of communication and all of its maritime territories, including within its exclusive economic zone, particularly in the West Philippine Sea and even the Philippine (Benham) Rise.

“We are poised to uphold the operational readiness of Philippine Navy assets and contribute further to the nation’s defense capabilities, including the development of advanced maritime vessels,” Glenn Tong, Propmech director, told reporters in a chance interview over the weekend.

Tong reiterated the local marine solutions industry is committed to helping the Philippine government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines through superior shipbuilding and maintenance services.

"Our shipyard and the MPAC exemplify Propmech's dedication to quality service,” Tong emphasized, as the local company refurbished the Navy’s MPACs Mark 3 version with hull numbers 488, 492, and 493.

The recent demonstration of the MPAC's enhanced capabilities during the Philippine Fleet’s Exercise Pagbubuklod in 2023 showcased its “prowess”—notably marked by the inaugural test-firing of a surface-to-surface missile from the upgraded MPAC Mk. 3 unit, he added.

Measuring 17 meters in length and boasting a breadth of 4.76 meters, the MPACs are renowned for their agility and speed, capable of exceeding 40 knots.

The MPAC vessel is equipped with .50-caliber machine guns, missiles, and other weaponry, including a Spike ER missile system onboard an MPAC that was successfully tested for the first time in 2018.

Propmech Corporation has committed to contributing to the government’s further bolstering of the country's defense industry and fostering self-reliance in military technology production, ensuring that AFP’s assets remain in top operational shape.

“The government has a very good direction to having a self-reliant posture in the Philippines. I believe that—if a country should have a baseline minimum capability,—it doesn’t make sense for us to a quire first class vessels from other countries,” Tong stressed.

https://tribune.net.ph/2024/06/16/local-shipbuilder-revamps-phl-navy-missile-boats

PH submits formal claim on extended WPS shelf to UN

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 16, 2024): PH submits formal claim on extended WPS shelf to UN (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

FORMAL CLAIM. DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Marshall Louis Alferez (3rd from left) and Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo (2nd from left) make the West Philippine Sea submission at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on June 14, 2024 (New York time). The Philippines formally asked the United Nations to register its extended continental shelf in the Western Palawan region in the West Philippine Sea. (Photo courtesy of DFA)

MANILA – The Philippines has formally asked the United Nations (UN) to register its extended continental shelf (ECS) in the Western Palawan region in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Saturday.

The submission of information at the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) was made through the Philippine Mission to the UN in New York on June 14 (New York time).

This is the second time the Philippines has registered an ECS entitlement. In 2012, the CLCS validated its partial submission on the Philippine Rise, resulting in an additional 135,506 square kilometers of seabed area for the country.

In a statement, DFA Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Marshall Louis Alferez said this submission is a declaration not only of the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but also of Manila’s commitment to the responsible application of its processes.

This would also help secure the Philippines’ sovereign rights and maritime jurisdictions in the West Philippine Sea, Alferez said, noting that the 2016 Arbitral Ruling confirmed the country’s maritime entitlements and rejected those that exceeded geographic and substantive limits under UNCLOS.

“Incidents in the waters tend to overshadow the importance of what lies beneath,” he said.

“The seabed and the subsoil extending from our archipelago up to the maximum extent allowed by UNCLOS hold significant potential resources that will benefit our nation and our people for generations to come. Today, we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement.”

Alferez, meanwhile, clarified that the submission does not prejudice discussions with relevant coastal States that may have legitimate ECS claims measured from their respective lawful baselines under UNCLOS.

“We consider our submission as a step in discussing delimitation matters and other forms of cooperation moving forward. What is important is the Philippines puts on record the maximum extent of our entitlement,” he said.

Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo has also expressed optimism this submission would reinvigorate the efforts of States “to demonstrate their readiness to pursue UNCLOS processes in the determination of maritime entitlements and promote a rules-based international order.”

In its Philippine Rise submission in 2009, the country stated that it reserved the right to make submissions in other areas in the future.

Under Article 76 of the UNCLOS, a coastal State such as the Philippines is entitled to establish the outer limits of its continental shelf comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas extending beyond 200 nautical miles (NM) but not to exceed 350 NM from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

The National Mapping and Resource Information Agency (NAMRIA) led the Extended Continental Shelf Technical Working Group (ECS-TWG) that worked on the submission for more than a decade and a half.

NAMRIA Administrator Peter Tiangco welcomed the official ECS submission and thanked the ECS-TWG for their work in gathering and processing data on geodetic and hydrographic information, and geophysical and geological information to substantiate the submission.

The first submission was also undertaken by the ECS-TWG, an inter-agency body composed of technical, legal, diplomatic, political, and law enforcement experts from several Philippine offices and agencies, among them NAMRIA, DFA, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, National Security Council, Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau, University of the Philippines (UP) Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, UP National Institute of Geological Sciences, the former National Coast Watch Council Secretariat, Department of National Defense, Office of the Solicitor General, and Philippine Coast Guard.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227002

G7 leaders oppose China’s ‘dangerous use of coast guard’ in SCS

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 16, 2024): G7 leaders oppose China’s ‘dangerous use of coast guard’ in SCS (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

G7 LEADERS. Group of Seven (G7) leaders, (from left) European Council President Charles Michel, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pose for a photo on the first day of the G7 summit in Italy on June 13, 2024. On Saturday (June 15, 2024), the leaders called out China for its “increasing use” of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Filipino vessels, reiterating the group’s opposition to Chinese “intimidation activities” in the South China Sea. (Photo courtesy of G7)

MANILA – The Group of Seven (G7) on Saturday called out China for its “increasing use” of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Filipino vessels, reiterating its opposition to Chinese “intimidation activities” in the South China Sea.

In a communiqué following the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, the leaders of the powerful economic grouping raised concerns about the situation in the East and South China Seas, reiterating their “strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion."

“We continue opposing China’s dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea and its repeated obstruction of countries’ high seas freedom of navigation,” they said in the statement.

“We express serious concern about the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels.”

The G7 leaders then reaffirmed that they do not recognize China’s maritime claims beyond the zones specified by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by citing the 2016 Arbitral Ruling on the South China Sea.

“In this regard, we reaffirm that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization, and coercive and intimidation activities in the South China Sea,” they added.

“We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of the UNCLOS and reaffirm UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas.”

They noted that the 2016 Arbitral Award is “legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings,” and could serve as a “useful basis for peacefully resolving” maritime disputes.

The G7 represents the world's leading industrialized democracies – Canada, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

China lays claim to a huge swath of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In August 2023, its Chinese Coast Guard first used its water cannon to disrupt the passage of Filipino vessels resupplying the detachment manning the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Despite the Chinese presence near Ayungin, the Philippine government has recently concluded a successful resupply mission to the grounded ship.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Branwer Jr. said late Friday afternoon that the latest resupply effort was “very successful” but did not provide the date and other specific details of the mission.

"It's enough to say we will continue bringing supplies to our troops, we will continue rotating our troops in all the features that we are occupying in the West Philippine Sea and we will continue to protect our territory and our sovereign rights," Brawner said.

He said there were no Chinese attempts to seize the supplies like what happened in the May 19 airdrop mission, where Chinese Coast Guard personnel managed to snatch one airdrop pack, only to throw its contents in the water. (with a report from Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227003

NSA lauds strong G7 stance vs. Chinese aggression in SCS

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 16, 2024): NSA lauds strong G7 stance vs. Chinese aggression in SCS (By Priam Nepomuceno)

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año (File photo)

MANILA – National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said the strong stance of G7 nations against China's dangerous use of its coast guard and maritime militia forces in the South China Sea highlights the organization's support for international law and rules-based international order.

"The resolute stance of the G7 nations against the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea, particularly the obstruction of high seas freedom of navigation, is a significant affirmation of the principles of international law and the rules-based international order," he said in a statement on Saturday.

Año was referring to the communique issued by G7 in Apulia, Italy where it expressed serious concerns and strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force or coercion.

"We appreciate the G7's explicit condemnation of the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippine vessels. This acknowledgment underscores the international community's recognition of the threats faced by our nation and reaffirms the importance of upholding the rule of law in maritime disputes," he added.

Año also emphasized that there is no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.

He also said the Philippines is one with the G7 in opposing China's militarization, coercive actions, and intimidation activities in the region.

"The principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) must be respected, and its role as the legal framework governing all activities in the oceans and seas must be upheld universally,” Año said.

“Furthermore, the G7's reiteration of the significance of the 2016 Arbitral Award is a vital reminder that this ruling is legally binding. It serves as a crucial basis for the peaceful resolution of disputes," he added.

The NSA also said the Philippines remains committed to working with the international community to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region.

"We look forward to continued collaboration with the G7 and the international community in general in upholding maritime law and ensuring that the South China Sea remains a zone of peace, freedom, and cooperation," he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1227026