Suportado ng Estados Unidos ang posisyon ng Pilipinas sa panibagong insidente ng pangha-harass ng China sa West Philippine Sea nang gamitan nila ng military grade laser ang isang barko ng Philippine Coast Guard.
The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard’s reported use of laser devices against the crew of a Philippine Coast Guard ship on February 6 in the South China Sea. The PRC’s conduct was provocative and unsafe, resulting in the temporary blindness of the crewmembers of the BRP Malapascua and interfering with the Philippines’ lawful operations in and around Second Thomas Shoal.
Sa isang statement, na nilabas ni State Department Spokesperson Ned Price . Kasabay ng pahayag na “provocative” at “unsafe” ang ginawang panunutok ng Chinese Coast Guard ng military-grade laser sa crew ng BRP Malapascua na papunta sana noon sa ayungin shoal para maghatid ng mga tauhan at supply sa BRP Sierra Madre.
Sinabi ni Price, ang ginawa ng China ay direktang pagbabanta sa kapayapaan at katatagan sa rehiyon na labag sa freedom of navigation sa West Philippine Sea lalo pa na walang legal claims ang China sa Ayungin Shoal kasabay ang panawagang sumunod dapat ang China sa 2016 arbitral ruling.
Dagdag pa ni Price, handa ang Estados Unidos na tumugon sa US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty oras na magkaroon ng armadong pag-atake laban sa Pilipinas.
“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, pahaya pa ng US State Department
Nanindigan naman ang China na walang pagkakamali ang Chinese Coast Guard sa ginawa nilang paggamit ng powerful laser beam sa crew ng Philippine Coast Guard dahil pumasok sila sa teritoryo ng China
Ayon kay Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affair sokesman, Wang Wenbin: The Ren’ai Reef is part of China’s Nansha Islands. On February 6, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel intruded into the waters off the Ren’ai Reef without Chinese permission.”
“ In accordance with China’s domestic law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the China Coast Guard ship upheld China’s sovereignty and maritime order and acted in a professional and restrained way.”
Umaasa kami na igagalang ng Pilipinas ang soberanya ng teritoryo at mga karapatan at interes sa karagatan ng China sa South China Sea at iwasang gumawa ng anumang aksyon na maaaring magpalala sa mga hindi pagkakaunawaan at magpalubha sa sitwasyon. China and the Philippines are in communication on this through diplomatic channels, pahayag pa ni Wang Wenbin. (VICTOR BALDEMOR RUIZ)
