THE policy of President Marcos Jr on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine in the South China is basically similar to the previous Duterte administration, Jose Faustino Jr, officer-in-charge of the Department of National Defense (DND), said yesterday.
“We are for a peaceful resolution of the conflict… It’s the same policy of President Duterte before,” Faustino said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
Faustino served as Armed Forces chief under the Duterte administration, from July to November last year.
The Philippines is locked in a territorial dispute with China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan over a chain of islands, islets and other features in the South China Sea. China, which is claiming almost the entire South China Sea, has been aggressive in the past several years, building structures in some areas.
“What we (Marcos administration) want is a rules-based international order in these areas and we support that. That (Duterte) administration and this administration have a similar policy,” said Faustino.
Faustino said the defense and military establishments continue to monitor Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea but could not give details.
“Right now, we have sightings of some, particularly Chinese militia vessels and some of the Chinese Coast Guard (vessels) in the contested areas,” he said.
Faustino said the DND has coordinated with the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea “on how to address these incursions.”
He vowed the Philippine territory will be protected with or without the ruling issued by the Netherlands-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in July 2016.
The PCA ruling invalidated China’s excessive nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ rights to its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
“I think with or without the arbitral ruling we will continue to protect what is ours,” said Faustino, adding that the military capability to conduct patrols in those areas has improved compared to 10 years ago.
On reported Chinese warnings against Philippine vessels transporting construction materials for the improvement of military facilities in the West Philippine Sea, Faustino said Filipino troops are used to these.
“’This is our territory, it’s our right to be in this are. That’s our response to the challenges of China… We also challenge the Chinese if they get near us. It’s like we’re exchanging challenges in these areas,” said Faustino.
Faustino said the defense and military establishments “will insist on what we want to do there because it is ours.”
