PCG: Warship deployment in WPS as policy option up to PBBM

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

SECURITY. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela (center) discusses China’s continued harassment at the West Philippine Sea (WPS) during Saturday’s news forum in Quezon City. Tarriela said only President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., could send warships to the WPS as a policy option.(PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – The deployment of the Philippine warships to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid China’s continued harassment now lies in the hands of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the Saturday News Forum.

At weekly forum in Quezon City, PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said Marcos may consider sending naval ships into the country’s territorial waters as a “policy option.”

Tarriela stressed that while the Philippine Navy is monitoring the situation in the WPS, it does not interfere with the harassment of the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the Chinese maritime militia against the Filipino fishermen, the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

“It is up to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to carry out a policy recommendation to the President and the Commander-in-Chief, the President himself, has the full authority to decide on this,” Tarriela said, adding that PCG will fully support whatever position the Armed Forces and the president will make.

“This is not a recommendation. All I’m saying is that in terms of reciprocity, that can be a policy option that can be carried out,” he added.

Tarriela said in with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships incursions in the WPS, said it was the first time Chinese warships “interfered and participated in the harassment of a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel.”

He was referring to the Chinese vessels’ aggressive actions against the Philippine vessels on Dec. 4 at the Bajo de Masinloc where PLAN vessels with bow numbers 500 and 571 also took part by tailing the PCG’s BRP Teresa Magbanua “at the very close distance of 300 yards.”

Also on Dec. 4, the CCG harassed the BRP Melchora Aquino, BRP Cape Engaño and the BFAR vessels that were deployed at Escoda Shoal.

Tarriela said Marcos has the sole authority to decide whether there is a need to modify the Philippines’ response to the WPS.

“For the past three administrations, the Philippine Coast Guard has been chosen to be deployed to the West Philippine Sea because, for the past administrations, they believed it is de-escalatory, non-provocative,” Tarriela said.

“What I’m saying is, the Philippine Coast Guard, we can never replace the Philippine Navy with the issue of territorial defense. And it is very alarming in a way that [PLAN] warships are encroaching on our own exclusive economic zone,” he added.

National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said the Philippines “reserves the right” to deploy its naval vessels in the wake of China’s latest hostile act in the WPS.