EDITORIAL — Better ships and water cannons, not submarines

The latest video to come out regarding Chinese interference of a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal is just heartbreaking.

The video, taken from inside a ship attempting a delivery, shows Filipino soldiers scurrying for cover as a blast of water from a Chinese Coast Guard water cannon penetrates their ship and practically lays waste to the interior of the vessel.

Four soldiers also sustained injuries as a result of the incident.

As usual, our diplomats were outraged and called their Chinese counterparts to account for the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia.

As usual, this protest is expected to fall on deaf ears as the Chinese insist the Coast Guard and maritime militia acted in a “professional” manner and that we are intruding into their territorial waters, which is a false claim.

If nothing is done this will continue to be a stalemate, but with us on the losing side because we still have to resupply our troops on that rusting hulk, while they only need to stop us from doing so.

Because our diplomatic protests seem to be taking us nowhere, perhaps it’s time for another approach. This latest incident highlights the need to send better ships to resupply our soldiers on the BRP Sierra Madre. We should send ships that cannot just make it through to the BRP Sierra but also hold their own against the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia.

Instead of submarines, which we will not likely be able to use to full advantage anyway, we should spend money on ships that can withstand the receptive “water salute” our delivery vessels get whenever we try to get to our own territory, and also return that salute in kind.

And why not equip them with water cannons too? If the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia react a certain way to our defense personnel then we should react the same way they do. A tit for a tat. If they can use water cannons on us then why can’t we use water cannons on them?