By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday reiterated that the Philippines is not seeking confrontation regarding the West Philippine Sea but is merely protecting its national interest.
“The President has made the Philippine stand in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) crystal clear. We do not want war or seek confrontation, but we must do what we need to do in order to protect our sovereignty and sovereign rights, calls of any sector to the contrary notwithstanding,” Teodoro said in a statement.
The DND chief issued the statement after President Ferdiand R. Marcos Jr., in a press briefing in Malacañang on Monday, said the Philippines has no plans of backing down in WPS despite the recent increase in Chinese naval activity.
Teodoro said the DND fully supports the President in the WPS issue and will continue to pursue its mission to defend the country’s territory and sovereignty.
“We do not control what external actors may think or may do, but we must deter them from making choices that violate Philippine interests,” he said.
Marcos and Teodoro’s remarks come amid persistent tensions in the WPS, part of the vast South China Sea that is being claimed by Beijing in its entirety despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands, invalidating such a claim.
Beijing has refused to honor the PCA ruling.
The Philippine government continues its presence and patrols in the WPS to assert sovereignty and protect the country’s maritime interests, consistent with the policy pursued during the past three years.
