MANILA. The head of the Philippine military, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., issued a stern warning on Thursday, stating that Philippine forces will defend themselves with “the same level of force” if they face further assaults from China’s coast guard in the disputed South China Sea. This follows a violent incident last month where Chinese personnel armed with machetes and spears injured Filipino navy personnel and damaged two boats in a chaotic confrontation.
Gen. Brawner demanded that China pay 60 million pesos ($1 million) in damages for the two navy boats and return seven rifles allegedly seized by Chinese Coast Guard personnel during the June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal. Philippine officials conveyed these demands and a strong protest during talks with a Chinese delegation in Manila. The Chinese delegation did not immediately respond to the demands, according to a Philippine official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
In addition to the damages for the boats, the Philippine military may seek compensation for planned surgery on the hand of a navy officer who lost his right thumb during the confrontation. The officer’s boat was rammed by a Chinese navy vessel.
“What we’ll do is we will apply the same level of force that would allow us to defend ourselves,” Brawner said at a news conference. “If a knife is used, for example, our personnel will also use a knife, nothing more, under the concept of proportionality.” He emphasized that the Philippine forces will not allow themselves to be bullied, referencing the weapons used by Chinese personnel in the last incident.
The South China Sea disputes involve several nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. These territorial disputes are seen as potential flashpoints for larger conflicts, potentially involving the U.S., which has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty if Filipino forces are attacked in the disputed waters.
Second Thomas Shoal, off the northwestern Philippines, has become a particularly dangerous area. Chinese coast guard, navy, and suspected militia ships have surrounded Philippine marines stationed on a grounded ship there to prevent the delivery of supplies.
Both China and the Philippines accuse each other of instigating the confrontation at the shoal. Beijing claims the Filipinos entered Chinese territorial waters despite warnings, prompting its coast guard to act. The Philippines maintains that its navy personnel were delivering supplies to Filipino forces at a territorial outpost when they were assaulted by Chinese coast guard personnel onboard at least eight boats.
Gen. Brawner’s comments came after a closed-door meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top military commanders, where they discussed counter-insurgency efforts and plans to defend the Philippines’ territorial interests in the South China Sea. President Marcos reiterated his order for Filipino forces to take steps to de-escalate tensions in the disputed waters, which the military will continue to comply with, Brawner said.
“We want to avoid war,” Brawner stated but added that the military would never allow any foreign country to infringe on the Philippines’ territorial rights.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
