MANILA: Despite the unprecedented ramming incident in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, the Philippine Navy does not yet consider it as one of the flashpoints of tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
“Sabina or Escoda Shoal is not a new flashpoint,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson for WPS, said in a regular press conference on Tuesday (Aug 20).
On Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that its vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño encountered “unlawful and aggressive manoeuvres” by China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in Escoda Shoal, resulting in damage to both ships.
When asked to confirm if this was the first ramming incident in Escoda Shoal, Trinidad responded, “Yes.”
He reiterated that the actions of CCG in the West Philippine Sea are “illegal.”
“Their actions are coercive and aggressive, their messages deceptive,” Trinidad said of the CCG.
“This is the cause of all dynamics in the West Philippine Sea.”
“Sabina is not a flashpoint, it is the ICAD (illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive) activities of the agents of the Chinese Communist Party,” he also said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN