Following a violent altercation between the Filipino navy and the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos declared on Sunday that the Philippines “will not be intimidated” by anyone.
Chinese sailors stopped Philippine forces from resupplying marines stationed on a derelict cruiser that was purposefully grounded atop the disputed shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims. The encounter occurred on Monday off Second Thomas Shoal.
It was the most recent and severe event in a string of increasingly violent encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the past few months, as Beijing intensifies its attempts to assert its rights over almost the whole strategically important waterway.
The next significant landmass to the shoal, Palawan island, is home to the South China Sea forces’ headquarters, where Marcos made the statement, “We will never be intimidated or oppressed by anyone.”
Eighty sailors who participated in the resupply operation received medals from Marcos, who also urged them to “continue to fulfil your duty of defending the nation” despite the fact that the situation had grown “dangerous.”
The closest significant landmass to China, Hainan island, is more than 1,000 kilometers away, while Second Thomas Shoal is located roughly 200 kilometers from Palawan.
During the confrontation with Manila, a Filipino sailor who had lost a thumb also accused the Chinese coast guard sailors of taking or damaging their gear, which included inflatable boats and firearms, and of using knives, sticks, and an axe.
Beijing accused Manila for the altercation, claiming that its coast guard acted in a “professional and restrained” manner.
Chinese forces have clashed with Filipino resupply vessels and their escorts in the past, using military-grade lasers and water cannons.
To thunderous acclaim, Marcos declared, “We have never, never in the history of the Philippines, yielded to any foreign power,” adding that he would “continue to exercise our freedoms and rights in support of our national interest, in accordance with international law.”
“Do not mistake our serene and tranquil demeanor for submission.”
The United States and Manila have a mutual defense pact, and the confrontation is adding to the rising anxiety that the dispute may spread to other countries.
This week, the Philippine administration declared that it does not view the conflict on Monday as a “armed attack” that would prompt Washington to intervene on Manila’s behalf in accordance with the terms of the treaty.
Manila, though, claims it was also worried that Chinese soldiers would try something similar to overthrow a small Filipino military outpost on Second Thomas Shoal.
