• Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro condemns China’s actions in the South China Sea as “patently illegal.”
• Teodoro emphasizes the need to deter armed attacks rather than triggering treaty obligations.
• The clash overshadowed efforts to rebuild trust and manage disputes in the South China Sea.

On Monday, the Philippines’ defense secretary condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea as “patently illegal.” This statement followed a clash on Sunday in disputed waters, which Manila claimed was part of a resupply mission for fishermen.

“We have to expect these kinds of behavior from China because this is a struggle. We have to be ready to anticipate and to get used to these kinds of acts of China which are patently illegal as we have repeatedly said,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters.

Manila’s South China Sea task force accused Chinese vessels of ramming and using water cannons near Sabina Shoal against a Philippine fisheries vessel carrying food, fuel, and medicine for Filipino fishermen. The Chinese coast guard countered that the Philippine vessel “ignored repeated serious warnings and deliberately approached and rammed” China’s law enforcement boat, leading to the collision.

Asked if the latest incident would trigger treaty obligations between the United States and the Philippines, Teodoro said: “That is putting the cart before the horse. Let us deter an armed attack that is the more important thing.”

US officials, including President Joe Biden, have reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad commitment” to support the Philippines against armed attacks on its vessels and soldiers in the South China Sea.

“Everybody is too focused on armed attack, let’s make ourselves strong enough so that does not happen,” Teodoro said.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment, as Monday is a public holiday in the Philippines. The clash on Sunday overshadowed efforts to rebuild trust and better manage disputes in the South China Sea after months of confrontations.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brunei. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claim had no basis under international law, but Beijing rejected this decision.

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