The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday accused China of destabilizing peace and security in the West Philippine Sea after its coast guard used a laser pointer against a Philippine government ship conducting a resupply mission in Ayungin shoal.
At a televised public briefing, DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza called on Beijing to restrain from this kind of actions, noting that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has already expressed serious concern over the laser-pointing incident.
"No less than the President has called attention [and expressed] serious concern about the increasing frequency and intensity of actions that are happening in West Philippine Sea, kaya nga po [that is why] we are calling on China to desist and restrain from this action kasi hindi lang ho ito [because it is not only] damaging, dangerous... it is also destabilizing in terms of stability and peace in the region," Daza said.in connection with the laser-pointing incident.
GMA News Online has reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Manila but it has yet to respond as of posting time. The Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier accused the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Malapascua of intruding into Chinese waters but"We need to highlight the fact that the China Coast Guard ship did not direct lasers at the Philippine crew, and the hand-held equipment does not inflict damage on anything or anyone on the vessel," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said earlier this week.
The PCG said the "military-grade" laser caused temporary blindness to some of the crew members of BRP Malapascua. strengthened and increased its presence and operations in the West Philippine SeaIn a statement, the PCG said Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu deployed “one of the PCG Fleet's largest maritime assets” BRP Teresa Magbanua to the Kalayaan Island Group on January 28.
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