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AFP ordered to stop patrolling West PHL Sea, says Alejano
Opposition lawmaker Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano on Saturday claimed that the Duterte administration has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop patrolling the disputed West Philippine Sea.
"I received information that the Duterte administration ordered our Armed Forces not to patrol West Philippine Sea anymore," Alejano said, citing military sources.
"Ayun ang information na nakuha natin na 'wag na tayong magsayang ng oras sa West Philippine Sea kasi wala rin naman mangyayari. Gagastos tayo ng fuel diyan wala rin naman mangyayari... so 'wag na kayo mag-patrolya," the opposition lawmaker said in a news forum.
"Isn't that an impeachable offsense already?" he asked.
Alejano, however, clarified that he doesn't have hard evidence to support his claim but added that he trusts his sources.
"I'm confident with the information coming from my sources," he said.
The lawmaker also claimed that the alleged order to stop patrols in the disputed waters has been in place since the latter part of 2017.
Sought for comment, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza disputed the lawmaker's claims.
"There was no such order," Lorenzana said. He did not elaborate.
But Alejano insisted that even officials of the AFP are protesting the order.
"Ang sabi ng Armed Force, 'Sandali muna that is our mandate. We will be remiss of our mandate to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity if we do that,'" he said.
In a statement, AFP spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo called Alejano's claims a "malicious imputation" on the President.
“I do not know where Cong. Alejano got that supposed instruction from the Commander-in-Chief. Malamang kuryenteng balita 'yan if not yet another malicious imputation on the President dragging the AFP in," Arevalo said.
“For the record, there is no such order coming from the Commander-in-Chief. As a matter of fact, our maritime and aerial patrols continue—contrary to such information allegedly received by the Party-list Congressman," the AFP spokesperson said.
"Let me assure our people that your AFP continues and will continue to perform its mandate," Arevalo said.
Alejano scored the administration's soft stance against China's aggression, saying that the government is "strangled" to act as this might affect the loan pledges from Beijing amounting to $24 billion.
A report by GMA News' Jun Veneracion said that Chinese Coast Guardsmen have been taking the catch of Filipinos fishing in the waters of Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal).
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque then said that the matter will be taken up with the Chinese government. —KG, GMA News
