DND cites ‘freedom of navigation’ as US Navy strike group enters South China Sea

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday said it acknowledged the right of other states to freedom of navigation after a US Navy strike group entered the South China Sea.

DND spokesperson Undersecretary Arsenio Andolong noted that they allow such entry as long as they exercise restraint and avoid action that could lead to tension in the disputed area.

"We recognize the right of other States to freedom of navigation on the high seas so long as all parties exercise restraint and avoid actions that could provoke and exacerbate the already tense situation in the region,” he said.

On April 4, the US Navy's Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) entered the South China Sea to conduct routine operations, the US Navy said on Tuesday.

It was the second time the TRCSG has entered the South China Sea during its 2021 deployment to US 7th Fleet area of operations, according to the US Navy.

To prevent misunderstanding and miscalculations, DND urged all concerned parties to maintain communication.

Meanwhile, Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the entry of TRCSG in the South China Sea as a welcome development for freedom of navigation.

"Per UNCLOS, the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group's entry in the South China Sea is a welcome development in the exercise of the Freedom of Navigation,” Bacordo said. — BM, GMA News