Marcos stands firm vs. China’s harassment in West Philippine Sea

PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos Jr said the Philippines will not cede an inch of its territory in the West Philippines Sea largely being claimed by Beijing following a recent harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel at a Filipino patrol delivering supplies to BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) inside Filipino waters.

Marcos, speaking at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Alumni Homecoming 2023 in Baguio City, promised to work with the nation’s allies to ensure the safety of Filipinos.

“The country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that do not conform to our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, of the region, and of the world,” he said.

“This country will not lose one inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and with international law. We will work with our neighbors to secure the safety and security of our peoples,” he added.

Marcos noted that the current operating environment is uncertain and grows increasingly complex and his administration has been working hard to steer the country to a high-growth trajectory in the past seven months.

He said as the Philippines continues to develop its internal resources, the country must pursue a path of prosperity that contributes to goals shared with the international community. “We have cemented our bilateral relations with our allies, with partners, with our friends. And as we work on translating these investments into material benefits for our people, we must ensure that we continue to preserve the security and the safety of our nation,” he said.

Last August, China also prevented Philippine Coast Guard ships from coming closer to the Ayungin Shoal while providing security to a Philippine Navy resupply mission. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel even readied its 70 mm cannon when BRP Teresa Magbanua came close to Ayungin Shoal at a distance of 2.5NM. 

The CCG vessel, together with two Chinese maritime militia ships and another CCG with bow number 5102, blockaded and prevented the Filipino vessel from reaching BRP Sierra Madre manned by troops. 

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu said regardless of this challenging situation, they remain steadfast in protecting the sovereignty and rights of the country and Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea. 

“The PCG will continue to exercise due diligence in protecting the country's territorial integrity against foreign aggression. The AFP can always rely on the PCG to support their resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal. Despite the dangerous maneuver of the much larger CCG ships and their aggressive actions at sea, the PCG ships will always be in the West Philippine Sea to sustain our presence and assert our sovereign rights,” Abu said. 

The Pentagon said the United States and the Philippines have agreed to resume joint patrols in the South China Sea following a decision reached during the recent meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Filipino Defense chief Carlito Galvez in Manila. The Philippines also allowed U.S troops in several areas in the country. 

China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea continues because the government allows it, especially during the time of then President Rodrigo Duterte who even publicly said that he loves President Xi Jingping and likened the relationship with China to a blooming flower. “I simply love Xi Jingping,” the former strongman said in April 2018 before heading to Beijing with her daughter Sara, now the Philippines Vice President. (Mindanao Examiner)