PH KEEPS PEACEFUL APPROACH TO SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

THE Philippines is keeping its peaceful stance in resolving disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said the government continues to deploy the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the contested waters rather than forces from the Philippine Navy (PN) to avoid militarizing the dispute.

“The only reason why you see Coast Guard vessels in the West Philippine Sea is because we don’t want to militarize the dispute,” Tarriela said in a news forum on Saturday.

Tarriela said the deployment of PCG within the country’s maritime domain, particularly at the WPS, is “de-escalatory  and non-provocative not just to  China but even for other claimant states.”

Meanwhile, France and Japan are backing PCG’s bid to modernize its assets and equipment, Tarriela said.

According to Tarriela, the French government is helping PCG in making 40 35-meter fast patrol crafts. The PCG will also acquire five more 97-meter patrol vessels from Japan, he added.

“Simula noong dumating ang administrasyon ni Pangulong (Ferdinand) Bongbong Marcos ay nagkaroon na tayo nang mataas na budget sa Philippine Coast Guard,” he said.

“This is the reason why we were able to expand to as many as 30,000 strong right now. This is the reason why the Coast Guard can now expect more Coast Guard vessels from France and Japan,” he added.