Joint patrol not meant to escalate tension – AFP

THE Armed Forces yesterday said the ongoing joint maritime patrol between the armed forces of United States and Philippines in the contested West Philippine Sea (WPS) is meant to assert the country’s rights in the area.

AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar also said the three-day patrol which started on Tuesday is not intended to escalate the tension in the WPS, where China has become aggressive in the past months.

“It is a show of our firm resolve to assert our sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and commitment to uphold such conventions that promote peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts,” said Aguilar.

The patrol, also called “maritime cooperative activity,” involved ships and aircraft from the US and the Philippines. It started in Mavulis Island in Batanes and will end in the WPS today.

“It is not meant to escalate the tension and all our actions and intentions are in accordance with international laws and conventions,” said Aguilar, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.

Aguilar said the military expects China to respect the decision of US and Philippines to conduct a joint patrol, noting that “all our actions are in accordance with international law.”

Aguilar said China should also promote peace in the area and abide by international laws and conventions.

China has harassed military resupply missions at the Philippine-occupied Ayungin Shoal in the WPS in the past months. Some of these incidents involved pointing by a Chinese vessel of military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship, which caused temporary blindness of the ship’s crewmembers, and collision and water cannoning incidents.

Aguilar, on whether they are expecting a negative reaction from China to the joint patrol, Aguilar said: “I don’t know how they (Chinese) will react, that’s why we are saying we hope and expect they will do the same.”

Aguilar was referring to the expectation that China will promote of peace and observe international laws and conventions.

“There should be no dangerous maneuvers, there should be no harassments, and there should