MANILA, Philippines- Nag-alok ng tulong ang Philippine Navy sa Chinese rubber boat in distress sa Ayungin Shoal subalit sinisi pa ang una sa insidente, ayon kay Col. Medel Aguilar, military spokesperson, nitong Sabado.
Ilan sa Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats ng China ang nasabit sa fishing line habang minamanmanan ang Philippine vessels patungong Ayungin Shoal para sa resupply mission, ayon kay Aguilar sa news forum sa Quezon City.
“Troops offered assistance to help China, but China refused.. and another boat came to their rescue,” aniya.
Bagama’t inaasahan na ang pagtanggi ng Chinese boat sa tulong ng Philippine forces, ang ikinagulat ng mga sundalo ay ang radio call ng Beijing kung saan sinisi ang mga Pilipino sa insidente, aniya pa.
“They still have the guts to challenge our radio message: ‘Philippine Coast Guard because of your maneuvers, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel came into problem,’” wika niya.
Tinabla naman ng AFP spokesperson ang radio message, at tinawag itong “another narrative that they will tell their people.”
“After this incident, they will come up with their own narrative to tell their people about what happened,” sabi ni Aguilar.
“We don’t want the truth to be drowned by what happened,” dagdag niya.
Naganap ang insidente noong Setyembre 7, habang naghahatid ang Pilipinas ng fresh supplies sa BRP Sierra Madre, ang commissioned vessel sa Ayungin Shoal.
Tinangkang harangin ng ilang Chinese Coast Guard ships at maritime militia vessels ang dalawang Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships para pigilan ang resupply mission, ayon kay Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson ng PCG.
“It is very important for the government… for us to be more transparent on what is happening in the West Philippine Sea,” pahayag niya.
“Humaharap kami sa media, nagsasabi kami ng totoong storya… The media will play a very important role in curtailing this fake news na kumakalat everytime na nagre-release sila,” giit ng tagapagsalita.
Iginigiit ng China, na ilegal na inaangkin ang halos kabuuan ng South China Sea, na nakaayon ang aksyon ng Pilipinas sa US pagdating sa West Philippine Sea issue.
Pinabulaanan ito ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa ilang talumpati niya sa katatapos lamang na Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit kamakailan sa Jakarta, Indonesia.
“The Philippines firmly rejects misleading narratives that frame the disputes in the South China Sea solely through the lens of strategic competition between two powerful countries,” giit ni Marcos Jr.
“This not only denies us of our independence and our agency, but it also disregards our own legitimate interests,” aniya.
Hinikayat din ni Marcos Jr. ang iba pang world leaders na huwag payagan ang “international peaceful order to be subjected to the forces of might, applied for a hegemonic ambition.” RNT/SA
