PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said the Philippines does not have assets like aircraft carriers to drive away China’s ships from the West Philippine Sea.
Despite this, however, the Philippines will continue to protect its sovereignty.
“When we detect the presence of a foreign vessel which is beginning to intrude or coming close already to our coastal waters, we will send our ships. We will challenge them and we will make sure that they know that what they are doing is illegal,” he said.
The President made the statement following the sighting of China’s “monster ship” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China.
“Well, we don’t have the means to drive them away. If we only have an aircraft carrier with a destroyer, a frigate, and a submarine, we would send them there (WPS) to push them away. We do not have such things. When it comes to size and number of vessels, we are far from China,” The President said in mixed Filipino and English.
But, he said, the Philippines’ policy “is we will just continue to defend our sovereign territory and our territorial rights in the EEZ (exclusive economic zone).”
The China Coast Guard 5901 vessel, dubbed as a monster ship due to its size, was reportedly seen east of the Scarborough Shoal.
MARCOS’ CHALLENGE
Marcos said there had been no specific response from China to his challenge for China to stop is aggressive acts against Philippine vessels in the WPS and pull out from the area.
“I didn’t expect them to and they have (not) responded specifically. They responded in general terms, saying what they do is a lawful exercise of the authority of law enforcement. But, no. Nothing specific on the missiles, nothing specific about the reduction of tension, and the reduction of aggressive moves, nothing like that,” he said.
The President, meanwhile, said senatorial aspirant and current party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta was just expressing his opinion when he said there is no West Philippine Sea even in the country’s own maps.
“He’s expressing his opinion. When I see him, lolokohin ko siya. He’s a candidate, eh, so he has to grab headlines. So tama ang ginawa niya for a candidate. Ngayon we’re talking about him now. Magaling talaga siya sa ganoon (He’s expressing his opinion. When I see him, I will tease him. He’s a candidate, so he has to grab headlines. So what he did was right for a candidate. We’re talking about him now. He is good at that),” he said.
Marcoleta, during a recent House hearing on the prevalence of fake news, said the WPS is just a creation of the country and it does not exist even in the Philippines’ own map.
MARITIME DRILL
The Armed Forces said last Wednesday’s multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) of the Philippines with the US, Japan and Australia was conducted south of Scarborough Shoal off Zambales where Chinese vessels have become active in the past month.
AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said at least two ships of People’s Liberation Army-Navy were sighted in the vicinity of the exercise area but they did not interfere with the activity.
“The exercise proceeded smoothly, and we are pleased with the positive outcomes and the cooperation shown by all participants,” he said.
Trinidad said one-day MMCA involved the Philippine Navy’s frigate BRP Jose Rizal and search and rescue assets of the Philippine Air Force.
The US deployed a destroyer, USS Benfold, and maritime patrol and reconnaissance P8-A Poseidon. Australia also sent a destroyer, HMAS Hobart, and a P-8A Poseidon. Japan tapped a destroyer, JZ Akizuki, for the exercise.
The MMCA – the sixth since April last year and first for this year – “featured a series of operational exercises designed to enhance coordination and interoperability among the participating forces.” These exercises included communication check exercises, maritime domain awareness and contact reporting, division tactics and officer of the watch maneuver, photo exercise, and anti-submarine warfare exercises.
Trinidad said the MMCA was conducted within an exercise box, which is about 120 nautical miles in size, south of Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc – about 124 nautical miles from Zambales.
Several Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels have been seen near Zambales in the past months, including the monster ship. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels actively monitored and challenged the illegal presence of these Chinese vessels.
Last January 25, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel used a long-range acoustic device or sound cannon in harassing a PCG vessel conducting patrol in the area.
Asked why the MMCA was conducted south of the shoal and if it was related to the recent activities of China in the area, Trinidad just said: “MMCAs are planned activities as agreed upon by participating countries focused on the set objectives.”
“This multilateral activity reaffirms the critical role of collaboration in ensuring peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region. It also strengthens the bonds among partner nations dedicated to upholding mutual prosperity and maintaining a rules-based international order,” said Trinidad.
Citing the importance of the latest MMCA, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said: “This activity demonstrates the strong cooperation and interoperability among our nations’ armed forces.”
US COMMITMENT
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated the US’ “ironclad” commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that mandates both countries to come to each other’s defense in case of an armed attack.
Hegseth made the assurance during an introductory call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr yesterday, around two weeks after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency.
“The Secretary (Hegseth) reaffirmed the ironclad US commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance for maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” the US Department of Defense said in a readout.
The “ironclad commitment” to the MDT has been frequently used by defense and military officials of the previous Biden administration in describing the strong alliance of the countries.
“He (Hegseth) pledged to remain in close coordination with Secretary Teodoro,” the readout added. – With Victor Reyes
It said Hegseth and Teodoro discussed “defense cooperation in the US-Philippines alliance.”
“The leaders discussed the importance of reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners,” the readout said of Hegseth and Teodoro.
“They also discussed enhancing the capability and capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” it added.
The Department of National Defense (DND), in a statement, said Teodoro and Hegseth discussed “key security developments in the Indo-Pacific and the enhancement of the two countries’ existing bilateral and multilateral engagements.”
Teodoro “expressed the Philippines’ commitment to working closely with the US in advancing shared defense priorities,” said DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong.
