NSC downplays Russian sub’s passage in PH waters
The National Security Council (NSC) on Monday downplayed the sighting last week of a Russian attack submarine in Philippine waters, even as President Marcos called this development “very worrisome.”
Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, NSC spokesperson, said at a news briefing that any foreign vessel can be assumed to be legally exercising its freedom of navigation as long as it “does not loiter or is not engaged in gathering of natural resources or any other illegal activity such as a marine scientific survey.”
He said further: “Let me just emphasize that the part of the waters where it was spotted is not within the territorial seas of the Philippines. It may be in the high seas of the EEZ (exclusive economic zone), so technically, the Russian ship is exercising freedom of navigation.”
Malaya said the vessel had notified the Philippine Navy that it was on its way to its submarine base in the Russian port city of Vladivostok in the North Pacific, after joining a “Passex” or passage exercise with the Royal Malaysian Navy in Kota Kinabalu.
A report by the US Naval Institute said the submarine was due to return to another port, Kamchatka Naval Base also in the North Pacific.
The highly advanced silent vessel, identified as an UFA-490, a diesel-electric attack submarine, had come from Malaysia and was spotted on Nov. 28 about 148 kilometers (80 nautical miles) west of Cape Calavite, Occidental Mindoro, according to the Philippine Navy, which dispatched an aircraft and a warship to monitor the submarine’s movement.
“Later in the day, the submarine bade goodbye and indicated that it was returning to its base, and as it was being tailed out of the EEZ. So everything went smoothly as it gave updates on its activities every step of the way,” Malaya said.
‘Weather conditions’
But the President on Monday said the submarine’s passage in Philippine waters “is very concerning.”
“Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, [into] our EEZ [and] our baselines is very worrisome,” Mr. Marcos said.
But he declined to discuss the matter further, saying he was leaving it for now to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Just like what the President said, … we’re very concerned about the presence of this Russian attack submarine within our exclusive economic zone, which is why we have immediately dispatched our air and navy assets to issue a radio challenge,” Malaya said, adding that the submarine was waiting for weather conditions to improve before resuming its journey back to Russia.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, also said on Monday that the vessel was “awaiting improved weather conditions” before returning to Vladivostok.
“Philippine naval forces, including the FF-150 (BRP Jose Rizal), escorted and monitored operations to ensure the submarine’s compliance with maritime regulations within the Philippine exclusive economic zone,” Trinidad said in a statement, confirming the Inquirer report on Monday.
The BRP Jose Rizal established radio communications with the submarine, which confirmed its identity, crew complement and navigational intent, Trinidad said.
He later told reporters that there was nothing illegal with the submarine’s passage because it was exercising “freedom of navigation” while inside the Philippines’ EEZ.
‘Heightened vigilance’
Senators also weighed in on the matter. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, head of the Senate committee on national defense and security, urged the military and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take immediate action and clarify the intentions behind what he called an “incursion” into the West Philippine Sea.
Sen. Joel Villanueva said the presence of the Russian submarine in the area “underscores the need for heightened vigilance in safeguarding our territorial waters.”
“We must remain vigilant, united, and proactive in defending our national interests, while fostering diplomatic efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino commended the Philippine Navy’s vigilance and called on the DFA to impress on the international community the country’s efforts to consolidate its claim and jurisdiction over its maritime zones and territorial waters. —WITH A REPORT FROM TINA G. SANTOS
