Tarriela: Publicizing WPS incidents to ensure Marcos' successor will still defend PH territory

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela on Saturday said the NTF-WPS' move to publicize China’s aggression in the disputed waters was aimed at ensuring that the next President will continue to defend the country’s maritime sovereignty.

“We need to reach out to increase awareness more para siguraduhin natin ang Pangulo ng 2028 is not somebody who is going to set aside our fight in the WPS at sasabihin ulit walang kinalaman sa sikmura ng Pilipino ito, magkakagiyera at mangangakong magje-jetski,” Tarriela said.

“We have to make sure na ang mananalong President by 2028 is somebody who is going to pick up what PBBM has started. Itong pangulo na ito ang patuloy na titindig at itutuloy ang laban natin pagdating sa issue ng WPS,” the PCG spokesperson said.

To recall, former President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was campaigning in 2016, remarked about riding a jetski to the WPS and telling the Chinese that it belonged to the Philippines.  

Duterte, however, later backracked and said that the remark “was a campaign joke.” 

Tarriela said that the NTF-WPS’ transparency efforts, which started in 2023, were meant to increase awareness of Filipinos on the issue of the WPS, “and I think we have been receiving positive impacts because of that.”

“We can see from 89% awareness of the Filipino people pagdating sa issue ng WPS… the second objective is for the international community to understand na meron isang bansa na katulad ng Tsina that doesn’t care about the international law, that doesn’t adhere to the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) na pinirmahan din naman nila,” he said.

Beyond politics

The PCG spokesperson further said that defending the country’s maritime sovereignty in the WPS should be a shared responsibility among Filipinos.

“Para sa akin ang usapin ang usapin ng WPS goes beyond politics, goes beyond social needs. Ang issue natin dito that is being challenged here is our identity as Filipinos. Ilang beses ko na sinabi sa ating Kalayaan ang independence natin utang natin nitong lahat sa ating mga bayaning Pilipino na nagbuwis ng buhay dito,” Tarriela said.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts that fall within Manila's exclusive economic zone. 

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims, but Beijing has not recognized the decision. —VAL, GMA Integrated News