PCG to government execs: Take stand vs China bullying

MANILA, Philippines — Government officials should take a stand against Chinese provocations in the West Philippine Sea and declare it loudly and openly, as “silence in the face of aggression is not an option,” Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday.

“To our government officials, it is important to speak up and take a stand against China’s bullying behavior towards our soldiers, sailors and our Filipino fishermen,” said Tarriela on X.

Tarriela is PCG spokesman on West Philippine Sea issue.

“Let us remember that the patriotic Filipino people and the future generation of this country will hold us all accountable,” he wrote on X.

Tarriela also posted an AP photo of the supply boat Unaizah May 4 under attack with water cannons by China Coast Guard vessels last March 5. The attack slightly damage the vessel and hurt four people, including a high-ranking military official.

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea, of which Tarriela is a member, denounced the Chinese action aimed at preventing a supply mission from reaching a Philippine military outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Tarriela urged Filipinos to be “vigilant against the spread of fake news and misinformation, especially when it comes to the illegal and provocative actions of the People’s Republic of China in the West Philippine Sea.”

Meanwhile, 36 crewmembers of PCG’s BRP Malabrigo were awarded the bronze cross medal and ribbon for fulfilling patrol duties around Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

The 44-meter ship docked at the Port Area in Manila after a three-day patrol in the area.

In remarks during the awarding, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan emphasized the “critical role” of the PCG in protecting Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.