By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday maintained that the government will continue to defend the country’s sovereignty and support the Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Marcos made the statement in response to recent reports of a notable surge in electronic communications disruptions committed by Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine vessels and land-based communication equipment in the region.
The President told reporters in an interview before flying to Australia that the current situation in the contested waters is “worrisome” as China has also deployed its Navy ships to support the Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
“We just watch, of course, what everybody is doing, but really for us…we just defend our maritime territory,” he said.
The Chief Executive also vowed to continue supporting Filipino fisherfolk in making a living in the WPS.
“So, that’s essentially the issue there. So, that’s the basic principle there, is that the fishers must be allowed to fish in their traditional fishing grounds, which belong in the maritime territory of the Philippines,” he continued. – avds
