Solon tells AFP, PCG: Don't disclose PH defense weak points

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) should refrain from making statements that reveal the country's weaknesses in defending its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea, a House leader said Wednesday.

House Special Committee on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) chairperson Neptali Gonzales II made the call amid the recent swarming of over 135 Chinese militia vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef, which is located 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza in Palawan.

"Please naman, huwag naman tayo nagde-deliver ng punches natin [in public]. Kagabi, napanood ko si AFP chief [General Romeo] Brawner, nu'ng tinanong siya ng media na 135 ships ang naroon [sa Julian Felipe Reef], publicly sasabihin mo, it is physically impossible for us to drive them away," Gonzales said during the briefing of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) before the House WPS committee.

[Please, let us not deliver our punches in public. Last night, I watched the AFP chief say in an interview that it is physically impossible for us to drive China away.]

Gonzales added, "Eh ganun naman pala eh. Eh di sasabihin ng China, wala naman palang capability itong mga ito, doon na lang tayo."

[If that is the case, that would make China think, since we do not have the capability, then we are free to go in their EEZ.]

"Every time we mention something that weakens our position, kesyo hindi natin puwedeng makipagiyera sa China, ang laki niyan, mauubusan tayo, hindi tayo puwedeng makipaglaban, biglang nagsusulputan ang mga [artificial] islands [ng China] eh," Gonzales said.

[Every time we mention something that weakens our position, regardless if we cannot go to war with China, that it is huge, we will run out, that we cannot fight them, artificial islands made by China surface.]

Gonzales said that even if Brawner was being forthright, China should be the last to know about the Philippines' activities and capacity to protect its sovereign rights within its EEZ.

The lawmaker said that he is putting forward his call for restraint with regard to statements on the country's "weakness" because Chinese militia vessels tend to pull out when there is an increased number of Philippine ships deployed in the Philippines’ EEZ, including in Julian Felipe Reef.

"I am saying this not for us to go to war but based on your statements, when you sent gray ships, the number of Chinese vessels decreased," Gonzales said.
 
Gonzales was referring to the disclosure of PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela to the committee that the number of Chinese militia vessels in Julian Felipe Reef is down to 28 following deployment of Philippine vessels from the Philippine Navy and the PCG.

Tarriela did not respond to requests for comment from GMA News Online.

For his part, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos of the Philippine Navy assured Gonzales that the country has been deploying more ships in the West Philippine Sea and would disclose numbers in Executive Session, which is not open to the public.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PCG are putting up better numbers than a few years ago. We have better numbers now, we have more government vessels flying the Philippine flag in the West Philippine Sea to show jurisdiction over the area," Carlos said. - VDV, GMA Integrated News