MANILA — The Philippines will seek to "avoid any physical confrontation" while keeping an eye on China's recent deployment of navigational buoys around the Spratly islands in the West Philippine Sea, an official said on Friday.

China this week placed 3 beacons close to Balagtas (Irving) Reef, Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, and Gaven Reef of the Spratly islands, which is consisted of many islets, reef banks and shoals, Reuters reported.

“Mino-monitor natin ang paglalagay ng mga boya, na ang pinaka-bottomline natin dito is, we will avoid any physical confrontation, we will not escalate the tension, we will always adhere to the rule of law. So ang ginagawa nila ay constantly mino-monitor namin,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said.

(We will monitor the deployment of buoys. Our bottomline here is that we will avoid any physical confrontation, we will not escalate the tension, we will always adhere to the rule of law. So we are constantly monitoring.)

“Well, pag-aralan muna natin. This is in consultation with the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). So before you make any statement, any moves or actions, isasangguni natin sa diplomatic and legal offices natin,” he told reporters at the Philippine Navy Headquarters.

(We will study this first. Before you make any statement, any moves or actions, we will consult our diplomatic and legal offices first.)

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said the deployment of buoys in the Spratly Islands was "an act of exercising its sovereignty in accordance with law."

"It aims to ensure the safety of maritime navigation and operations, and provide public goods for passing ships and countries in the region," the embassy said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the Philippines also placed navigational buoys with the country's flag in 5 areas in the West Philippine Sea, namely Patag Island, Balagtas Reef, Kota Island, Panata Island, and Juan Felipe Reef.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it was waiting for the right time to install additional buoys this year.

• PCG hails personnel who installed buoys in West Philippine Sea

Año said the buoys were installed in accordance with international law. These will ensure navigational safety and signify the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, he said.

“Bilang member ng UNCLOS, at isang coastal state, responsibilidad natin na maglagay ng mga safety measures, ang isa dyan yung boya," Año said.

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"The boya signifies ano ang mga particular locations warning our navigators kung saan ang mababaw na lugar, and at the same time also, it’s a marking… na by arbitral ruling, kinikilala na ito ay ating exclusive economic zone,” he added.

(As a member of the UNCLOS and as a coastal state, we have a responsibility to place safety measures, and these include the buoys. The buoys alert our navigators on the location of shallow areas and at the same time serve as a marking that under the arbitral ruling, this is recognized as our exclusive economic zone.)

Año denied that the buoy installation was a provocative action.

“Yung nagde-dangerous maneuver, nagle-laser pointing, yung mga nagba-blocking sa part ng ating vessels, yung mga naghahabol ng ating fishermen — so we have to put it in the right perspective — 'yan ang tinatawag nating provocation,” Año said.

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“Wala tayong nakikitang provocation [sa boya], malayong malayo. We are not the aggressor here, we are not the provocateur here. In fact, we are just ensuring that we are following the international law, and making sure that we are defending our sovereignty."

(Dangerous maneuvering, laser pointing, blocking our vessels, chasing our fishermen — so we have to put it in the right perspective — those are what we call provocation. We don't see any provocation with the buoys, that's far from the reality.)

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, ignoring an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

The Philippines recently accused China of causing a near-crash with a coast guard ship and pointing a military-grade laser at another vessel.

• Chinese, Philippine vessels in 'David and Goliath' near-crash
• Chinese ship blinds PH Navy with military-grade laser: Coast Guard

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

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