Reacting to author Martin Jacques provocation on PH sending navy vessel to its EEZ

Martin Jacques, author of the best-selling book "When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order" has criticised the Philippines for what he calls "over-reaching provocation when the Philippines sent BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a Philippine Navy frigate (ex US Cutter-class) to patrol the Scarborough waters some 130 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales that led to a stand off with China's surveillance ships in April this year.

"As for the Philippines, its decision to send an armed naval ship to Panatag Shoal — a sprawling offshore area off the country’s northwestern province of Zambales — during the April standoff was an “overreaching” provocation." -- Martin Jacques, author of the best-selling book "When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order"; Mr Jacques (picture shown from The Guardian) is also a writer for the British ultra left-wing newspaper, The Guardian

Philippines provoked China in its own Exclusive Economic Zone? Provocation??? We beg to disagree Mr Martin Jacques! Philippines did absolutely nothing of the sort!!! 

PROVOCATION??? Mr Jacques, you are forgetting that the Scarborough Shoal is located well within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as per United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). President Aquino, as commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces DID THE RIGHT THING by sending a navy vessel to patrol the country's EEZ. The Philippines is well within its rights to patrol, to protect and if necessary, to defend its territorial integrity. To have done otherwise would have been wrong, China or no China!

Mr Jacques, have you forgotten the COD Wars of the 60s and the 70s (not to be mistaken for COLD War)??? Britain did far more than just send a Royal Navy vessel when Britain's territorial integrity was threatened!

Here is the story - how it happened, Mr Jacques, just to refresh your memory: 

Panatag Shoal Incident On 8 April 2012 the Gregorio del Pilar was assigned to patrol the Panatag Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) and was transferred from Palawan to Northern Luzon, and on 10 April 2012 it was involved in a standoff with Chinese vessels during an attempted arrest of Chinese fishers on eight vessels near the shoal, located in a disputed portion of the West Philippine Sea. She intercepted eight Chinese fishing vessels that were allegedly conducting illegal fishing operations; two Chinese Marine Surveillance ships, namely Zhongguo Haijian 75 and Zhongguo Haijian 84 were deployed in response, leading to a standoff. Gregorio del Pilar left the area on 12 April 2012, having been relieved by the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Pampanga (SARV-003) and the Monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) Ship's of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Philippines).

LINK TO "PROVOCATION" ARTICLE: PHL, China both 'mishandled' Panatag dispute - Brit scholar

IN PICTURE: BRP Gregorio del Pilar at Poro Point