Padilla: China Coast Guard has ‘gone too far,’ urges PH gov’t action

MANILA, Philippines — Saying the China Coast Guard (CCG) has “gone too far,” Sen. Robinhood Padilla on Tuesday urged the Philippine government to take “stronger and concrete steps” to protect Filipino troops and defend the country’s maritime rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.

“When a Filipino is harmed, the Philippines cannot remain silent. When our soldiers are attacked while performing their legitimate duties, we must take a stand,” Padilla said in Filipino.

READ: AFP: China Coast Guard assaults PH Navy man at Ayungin

Padilla also said those responsible for harming Filipino soldiers must be held accountable, adding that repeated protests are not enough if such incidents continue.

The senator was reacting to Monday’s confrontation near BRP Sierra Madre, during which CCG personnel struck a Philippine Navy serviceman on the head with a wooden baton, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The incident occurred after a CCG rigid-hull inflatable boat carrying eight personnel approached the Philippine Navy vessel and refused repeated instructions to leave the area, the AFP said.

Padilla described the assault as a “clear escalation of aggression” against Filipino troops performing their lawful duties within the country’s maritime jurisdiction.

“How long will we endure this?” he asked.

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“We have repeatedly chosen restraint. We have repeatedly avoided confrontation. But it seems our restraint is being met with even more harassment and violence,” he added.

While stressing that he does not support going to war, Padilla said the Philippines’ pursuit of peace should not be abused or interpreted as a sign of weakness.

Padilla also praised Philippine troops for remaining disciplined despite what he described as “intense provocation,” noting that they used only shields to protect themselves despite being outnumbered and unarmed.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of National Defense, and the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea have also condemned the incident, which took place within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also condemned the assault.

“You’re already in our backyard, yet you’re the ones eager to inflict harm. This kind of violence and use of force against our personnel violates basic [good manners and right conduct] and the obligations of states under international law to refrain from the threat or use of force,” Pangilinan said in Filipino.

Pangilinan called on the DFA to immediately file a strong diplomatic protest, report the incident to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the country’s other allied nations, and use all legal and diplomatic means, including the 2016 Arbitral Award. /mcm