MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military on Tuesday accused the Chinese Embassy of releasing an edited video that omitted the events leading up to Monday’s confrontation near the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ spokesperson on matters relating to the West Philippine Sea, was responding to a statement issued by the China Coast Guard (CCG) and posted online by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
The CCG claimed that Philippine Navy personnel aboard rubber boats ignored repeated warnings, surrounded and rammed a Chinese patrol boat, before attacking Chinese law enforcement officers with oars and long sticks.
READ: AFP: China Coast Guard assaults Philippine Navy officer in Ayungin
Beijing said the CCG team responded with “proportional countermeasures” while exercising “maximum rationality and restraint,” and accused Manila of distorting the facts.
Trinidad rejected this account, saying the embassy had released footage that only covered part of the encounter.
“What they released was a spliced or incomplete part of the video,” he said during an online briefing.
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“If they started at the very beginning, you would see that the boats came into close proximity of BRP Sierra Madre. That is already a self-incriminating video because it shows they approached the ship,” he said.
According to Trinidad, a CCG vessel sighted south of Ayungin Shoal launched two rigid-hull inflatable boats that came to within 20 to 30 meters of the Sierra Madre.
From that spot which was within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, the Chinese crew allegedly took photos and videos.
AFP rubber boats then moved in to drive the Chinese craft away, an action Trinidad described as a defensive measure consistent with the military’s rules of engagement.
“The action of our rubber boats was merely to drive them away. It was not confrontational. It was defensive in nature and within the rules of engagement,” he said.
Trinidad said the release of the edited video seemed to be part of Beijing’s effort to shape the narrative, especially after the Philippines recently marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, with Manila’s allies reaffirming their support for this legal victory.
“So they came out with this, but it backfired on them,” he said.
Despite the latest confrontation, Trinidad said, the AFP would continue carrying out rotation and resupply missions to troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre.
“So long as they (the Chinese) are there illegally, the potential for coercive and aggressive actions will always be there,” he said. “The deceptive messaging being put out is meant to cover up actions that are illegal and have no basis under international law.” /cb
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