MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday thanked the international community for supporting the Philippines’ rights over parts of the South China Sea, saying China was “isolated” in the issue.

The United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Australia were among the nations that earlier scorned China’s use of water cannons against Philippine supply vessels sailing within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

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“Malaking bagay po yun na we stand with the community of nations,” said Col. Medel Aguilar, spokesperson of the AFP.

“They (other countries) are with us while the other side (China) is all alone,” he said.

“They (China) are lonely, they are isolated,” he added, underscoring that “what happened was not acceptable to the international community.”

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Pressure from other countries may be among the factors that pushed China to tone down its aggression in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

“Last resupply, they deployed 6 big China Coast Guard vessels, but this time they were only deploying 2 China Coast Guard vessels at dalawa dito ay mas maliit pa sa barko natin,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson from the West Philippine Sea.

“I think this has something to do with optics. They want to show the world na kunyari they are not really that aggressive in preventing our resupply operations,” he said.

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The PCG also belied Beijing’s claim that it “allowed” Philippine ships to deliver food supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre for “humanitarian concerns.”

“The resupply mission we had yesterday was not a walk in the park. We still experienced dangerous maneuvers, they still attempted to block our resupply operations,” Tarriela said.

“We don’t need permission from the People’s Republic of China,” he said.

“We don’t need to explain what are the supplies we need to bring on board the BRP Sierra Madre,” he added.

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Despite a 2016 arbitral ruling favoring the Philippines’ rights in these waters, China has continued to claim about 85 percent of the South China Sea, a strategic waterway where billions-worth of sea-borne goods pass through annually.

The Philippines will continue to “assert our sovereign rights so our people will benefit from it,” Aguilar said.

“We take the guidance of the Commander-in-Chief that we will not remove the BRP Sierra Madre, that we will not abandon Ayungin Shoal,” he said.

The Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre has been anchored for decades is about 115 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan, placing it well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

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