Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday said China would be committing an act of war if Chinese forces were to board BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting Navy ship grounded at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro made the statement after Chinese state media Global Times reported that China is considering 10 countermeasures against the Philippines, including the towing of the vessel.
The other measures, Global Times reported, also included a ban on anti-China politicians entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau; freezing of their assets in China; and prohibiting Chinese companies and individuals from transacting with them.
“Any threat against BRP Sierra Madre will be taken very seriously because it will be an act against a military vessel of the Republic of the Philippines,” Teodoro said.
BRP Sierra Madre was grounded at Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a military outpost at the disputed shoal, which is well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“If something happens there due to the use of force, that is an act of war against the Republic of the Philippines already, or it is an act of war,” Teodoro also said.
“It’s not a state of war, that’s clear…(That’s) an act of war because it is an offensive act against a Philippine warship….It is not a state of war but an act of war,” Teodoro added.
Teodoro emphasized that he has no power to declare the existence of a state of war, noting that only the President and Congress have such power.
On whether such an attack would trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States, Teodoro said: “The possibility is open, but whether or not that will engender an MDT is a presidential decision.”