MANILA, Philippines — As China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions” at sea continue, the Philippines appears to be the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to openly resist them and voice condemnation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday.
In a post on X, Tarriela said the country’s rejection of China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea was not only a “fight for our rights” but also a reflection of “our commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the livelihoods of local fishermen.”
He called on China to stop accusing the Philippines of depending on the US military for help in asserting its sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
“For over a year, we have brought to light your barbaric and provocative actions, and in every photo and video we have released, there is no evidence of US vessels,” he said, citing the government’s “transparency initiative” in dealing with the West Philippine Sea issue.
He said the transparency initiative had exposed the illegal activities of “only the Chinese Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia and (People’s Liberation Army) Navy.”
He lamented that the Chinese would often execute “dangerous manuevers” to prevent Philippine vessels from carrying out patrol missions or resupplying remote military outposts within Philippine waters.
Tarriela’s post on X was in response to an article in the Chinese state-run publication Global Times, which called the Philippines “the only ASEAN member that deliberately turns a blind eye to Washington’s manipulation, and it cannot deceive other ASEAN member-countries.”