Quezon city: A ranking naval official stated Tuesday that the Philippines does not have to respond violently to a Chinese warship's fire control radar (FCR) scanning of a Philippine Navy (PN) guided missile frigate at the Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last March 7. "The Rules of Engagement (ROE) are very clear to our commanding officers. Use of force for mission accomplishment is not allowed without infringing on the universal right of self-defense, defense of your men or of others," PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

According to Philippines News Agency, when asked what action the BRP Miguel Malvar can undertake following the incident, Trinidad emphasized adherence to international law. He noted that the Philippines will avoid escalating the situation by not firing the first shot, even amid potential harassment or illegal actions by the Chinese. Trinidad expressed that the Chinese war-fighting strategy aims to provoke the Philippines into initiating conflict, which the PN is determined to avoid.

Trinidad refrained from providing specific details about the fire control system used by the Chinese warship against the BRP Miguel Malvar or the weapon it was guiding. However, he criticized the actions as unprofessional conduct by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The BRP Miguel Malvar, commissioned last year, is equipped to handle warfare across four dimensions: surface, subsurface, air, and cyber, and was able to detect the FCR emissions.

Additionally, Trinidad reported monitoring 49 Chinese warships and Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity of four WPS features from March 15 to 22. The breakdown includes nine PLAN and 19 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships in Bajo de Masinloc; three PLAN and five CCG vessels in Ayungin Shoal; three PLAN and two CCG craft at the Escoda Shoal, and one PLAN and seven CCG ships near Pag-asa Island.