Reported by Dawn News
President Ferdinand Marcos claimed on Sunday the Philippines “will not be intimidated” by anyone after an extreme conflict between the Filipino navy and the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea, quoted by Dawn News.
The conflict happened on Monday off Second Thomas Shoal as Chinese sailors thwarted an endeavour by Philippine forces to resupply marines stationed on a sloppy warship that was knowingly dropped atop the squabbled sandbar in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial suits.
It was the most delinquent and severe incident in a succession of rising conflicts between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing tries to announce its lawsuits to essentially all of the strategically discovered channels.
“We will never be intimidated or oppressed by anyone,” Marcos said in a speech during a visit to the headquarters of the Philippines’ South China Sea forces on Palawan island, the closest major landmass to the shoal.
Marcos awarded medals to 80 sailors who shared the resupply task, encouraging them to “continue to fulfil your duty of defending the nation” even as the situation became “dangerous.”
Second, Thomas Shoal fibs about 200 kilometres from Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.
A Filipino sailor failed a thumb in the conflict with Manila, also blaming the Chinese coast guard sailors for exerting knives, sticks and an axe and shoplifting or sabotaging their tools, including guns and inflatable boats.
Beijing demanded that its beach guard be conducted” professionally and restrainedly” and condemned Manila for the clash.
In recent conflicts, Chinese forces have used water cannons and military-grade lasers and contradicted Filipino resupply vessels and their escorts.
“We have never, never in the history of the Philippines, yielded to any foreign power,” Marcos stated, cheering, promising to “continue to exercise our freedoms and rights in support of our national interest, under international law”.
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“Our calm and peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for acquiescence.”
The conflict raises anxiety that the debate could carry in the United States, which has a joint reason pact with Manila.
The Philippine government claimed this week that it does not consider Monday’s dissent an “armed attack” that would initiate circumstances in the treaty for Washington to reach Manila’s aid.
However, Manila claims it was also considered that Chinese forces would implement a parallel endeavour to dislodge a small Filipino military garrison on the Second Thomas Shoal.
