WPS MOVEMENT The political party group Akbayan prepares for its participation in another civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea at its headquarters in Quezon City on Monday (May 13, 2024). Various groups under the project "WPS, Atin Ito!" will travel to Panatag Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) on May 14 to 17 to deliver supplies to Filipino fishers. PNA
The National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday welcomed the results of a recent survey showing Filipinos supporting stronger military action and diplomatic approach to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.
"Filipinos are a people of peace but at the same time, we know how to stand up for what is right, and for what is ours. Heeding our people's call, the Marcos Jr. administration is determined to progressively build our defense capabilities to effectively deter any and every threat to our nation's peace and security," National Security Adviser and NSC chair Eduardo Año said in a statement.
Citing results of the OCTA Research "Tugon ng Masa" survey for the 1st quarter of 2024, Año said 73 percent of respondents want the government to prioritize military action when there are threats to the country's territory and sovereign rights.
Meanwhile, 68 percent of survey respondents support the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to make it more capable of protecting the country against foreign aggression.
"We thank the Filipino people for their support and they can be assured that, guided by the President, we will continue to assert our rights and push back against illegal, coercive, aggressive and deception tactics," he added.
The poll asked respondents about the "measures that the Marcos administration should prioritize to effectively address the issues related to the conflict in the West Philippine Sea."
"The Philippine Government continues to push for peaceful, diplomatic means to resolve any dispute with other (countries). Simply put, war is not an instrument of our national policy. However, under international law, we have the inalienable right to defend our people, our territorial integrity and sovereign rights," Año noted.
Based on the survey results, the NSA said the Filipino people understand that "there can be no peace without security, and that there will be no security without peace."
Año also stressed that the Philippines' military modernization is not only for military defense purposes but also to upgrade its readiness and capabilities to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
He also appealed to the Senate and the House of Representatives to support all programs to fast-track AFP modernization to allow the Armed Forces to fully focus on territorial defense and secure the territorial integrity of the country.
"We hope that Congress will continue to allocate the necessary funds to implement Horizon III of the Armed Forces modernization program which is critical in the implementation of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept recently approved by the President," he said. PNA
Solid evidence
PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), on Tuesday said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has found concrete evidence of China’s land reclamation in Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Tarriela said the findings of the PCG vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua in Escoda Shoal confirm China’s construction of artificial islands and extensive damage to the coral system in the area.
“China cannot simply dismiss these findings as disinformation, as we have documented the presence of their vessels in the area. It is widely known that China is the only country in the region that disregards environmental concerns,” Tarriela said in a post over X.
He said BRP Teresa Magbanua was the only Philippine vessel sent to investigate the shoal but provoked a response from over 30 Chinese maritime militia vessels, three Chinese Coast Guard vessels, three People’s Liberation Army Navy warships, and three research vessels.
“It is time to stop lying and be man enough to own your unlawful plans that are in progress,” he said.
The statement was in response to a story released by Chinese international news outfit Global Times that the allegations made by the Philippines regarding illegal activities by China in Escoda Shoal were “groundless accusations” and that “such provocations could spark a standoff.”
Tarriela accused China of employing “deception, denial and false narratives while projecting a façade of concern for regional stability.”
“They excel at crafting statements and narrating events in a way that convinces others of their peaceful intentions and care for the marine environment,” he said.
However, he said the Philippines’ transparency in the WPS has been effective in revealing “falsehoods behind their convincing lies.”
“Our primary objective is to expose the truth and unveil their pretense so that they come to realize that no amount of deceit can conceal their ambitious and greed-driven agenda of controlling the entire South China Sea,” he said.
Earlier, BRP Teresa Magbanua was deployed to Escoda Shoal after marine biologists from the University of the Philippines, led by Dr. Jonathan Anticamara, found there was low coral and fish diversity in Sandy Cay, locally known as Pag-asa Cay.
Anticamara noted that the degraded state of the area was possibly due to “a combination of disturbances from overfishing, climate change impacts and island-building activities in WPS.” PNA
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