The harassment of Philippine supply boats bringing food to military personnel manning the detachment on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) by the Chinese Coast Guard is a “katampalasan” or an insult to the country’s sovereignty, Kalayaan vice mayor Hermoso Ornopia said Thursday.
Ornopia said that the supply mission is a regular activity for government forces stationed on the shoal, which is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and that obstructing and water spraying the supply boats is offensive.
He said he will lead the adopting of a resolution in the Sangguniang Bayan of Kalayaan that will condemn in the strongest terms the Chinese Coast Guard harassment that was recorded by the Western Command (WESCOM) through the Naval Forces West (NAVFORWEST) on November 16.
READ RELATED STORY: Chinese Coast Guard vessels block, water cannon 2 PH supply boats near Ayungin Shoal in WPS
“Palagian nang ginagawa ang resupply mission ng ating mga tropa sa Ayungin Shoal para masiguro ang kapanatagan ng ating bansa lalo na sa usapin ng teritoryo. Ang Ayungin Shoal ay walang pag-aalinlangang bahagi ng ating EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Ang naganap na pagtataboy ng mga barkong Tsino ay katampalasanan sa ating soberenya sa ating karagatan. Ang pangyayaring ito ay hindi dapat palampasin,” Ornopia said in a social media post Thursday via the Sulong Kalayaan 2002 FB account.
Hindi tama na tayo ay aapihin sa ating sariling bakuran. Habang ginagalang natin ang karapatan ng atin mga [kalapit] bansa, ay atin din namang marapat ipaglaban ang ating soberanya,” he added.
Ornopia said the incident should not scare Filipinos. Instead, it should fuel their will to fight for what is right in the area, particularly Kalayaan, a municipality of Palawan in the Philippines.
“Sa kabila ng pangyayaring ito, lalong magniningas ang ating pagnanais na magkaroon ng pagkakakilanlan ang nag-iisang bayan sa West Philippine Sea na nakikiisa sa ating layuning isulong ang ating Karapatan sa Karagatan, Teritoryo, at Soberanya,” he said.
