PH Navy: Filipino troops unaffected by 'word war' with China

Filipino troops remain unaffected in the “word war” with China as they know their mandate and understand the issue revolving around the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Navy said on Sunday.

“‘Yung ating mga kasundaluhan, sapagkat sila ang nasa frontline, kami ang nasa frontline, sila mismo, literal nasa frontline, naiintindihan nila ang mga issues na ito,” PH Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told Super Radyo dzBB.

(Our soldiers understand these issues because they are on the frontline.)

“Hindi naman sila apektado (they are unaffected). They know what they’re doing. They know their mandate,” he assured.

Trinidad reminded Filipinos that the enemy in the issue in the West Philippine Sea is not their fellow countrymen.

“‘Yung kalaban natin dito hindi ‘yung kapwa Pilipino. ‘Yung nanghimasok sa ating teritoryo, ‘yun ang kalaban natin,” Tirnidad said.

(Our enemy here is not our fellow Filipinos, but those who have intruded into our territory.)

“So, anybody who comes up with a wrong narrative, maliwanag na hindi ito ang Philippine narrative. Eh ‘di kaninong naratibo ito? Eh ‘di sa kabilang parte, sa ating adversary, ‘yung Chinese Communist Party,” he added.

(So, anybody who comes up with a wrong narrative is clearly not the Philippine narrative, but that of the other side, our adversary, the Chinese Communist Party.)

For its part, the Navy continues to strengthen and modernize its fleet with the recent addition of a new warship built in South Korea and conducting maritime patrols with allied countries in the disputed waters.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has called out Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela for posting images on social media "attacking and smearing Chinese leaders."

The PCG official has stood firm on his stance opposing China's aggression in the South China Sea, saying that there's no need for him to apologize to the embassy.

Meanwhile, the Senate adopted Resolution No. 256, which criticized remarks by the Chinese Embassy in Manila against Filipino officials who challenged Beijing’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.

This was denounced by Chinese diplomats, saying the Philippine senators knew “little about how diplomacy works” in criticizing Beijing.  —RF, GMA Integrated  News