‘Barbarians’, PH Navy exec says of China Coast Guard over WPS row

FILE: CCG personnel were caught on camera brandishing bladed and pointed weapons threatening to injure AFP troops during the humanitarian rotation and resupply mission at BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on June 17. (Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Thursday called the China Coast Guard (CCG) a “band of barbarians” for their aggressive actions against Manila’s recent resupply mission to its contingent in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“I call them a band of barbarians and in the first place they have no right to wear the uniform, Coast Guard men are supposed to be responsible for (the) safety of life at sea. Their actions endanger life at sea. It does not speak well of a country that want(s) to be a global power,” PN spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a media interview.

He was referring to the CCG’s actions on June 17, where its personnel launched dangerous maneuvers and harassing Filipino supply boats.

These CCG personnel also boarded, looted, and damaged the Philippine military’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) used in the mission aside from destroying the communications and navigation equipment of one of the craft, along with some personal items of its crew members, and threatening them with pointed and bladed weapons.

“Other countries should now be very careful in looking at what China is doing in the WPS because it will also be done (to) them, if not it’s done (already),” Trinidad said.

He said they would “do more planning and there will be changes” in their tactics following the incident.

He also assured the public that all of their actions will be guided by the rules of engagement and would be carried out within the bounds of international law.

The Philippines will always assert its sovereignty and sovereign rights over the territory, he said.

Grave concern

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) on Thursday jointly voiced their concern on the recent developments in the WPS following China’s recent actions.

This came as AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and JSDF chief of joint staff Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida met via video teleconferencing to discuss partnership opportunities and ways ahead following the CCG’s hijacking of the AFP’s rotation and resupply mission.

“JSDF always stands on the side of AFP, and JSDF will deepen its cooperation with Philippines and like-minded countries,” Yoshida said.

Meanwhile, Brawner thanked the JSDF in its continued support to the AFP and the Philippines.

“We are very thankful for the support that Japan is giving us. Japan was one of the first countries that gave its support condemning the actions of CCG,” he added.