Marcos expresses concern over tension in WPS

MELBOURNE —  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern and frustration over the reported presence of Chinese research vessels in the Benham Rise, calling it an "unnecessary escalation" of tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos Jr.'s statement came on Wednesday after reports surfaced earlier this week of two Chinese research vessels spotted "loitering" in the northeastern part of the Philippine Rise.

The Philippine Coast Guard said earlier this week that the BRP Gabriela Silang is set for a two-week mission in the Philippine Rise and Batanes since 04 March.

The Benham Rise, also known as the Philippine Rise, is an underwater plateau located east of the Philippines. It was declared part of the Philippine continental shelf by the United Nations in 2012, granting the Philippines exclusive rights to its resources. However, China has previously contested this claim, adding to ongoing tensions in the region.

"Once again, this is a clear intrusion into our Philippine maritime territory and it is, as usual, of great concern. And I see this as absolutely unnecessary," Marcos Jr. said in a video message before flying back to Manila.

He emphasized the unnecessary nature of the situation, suggesting a collaborative approach could have been taken.

"If it is truly a research vessel then we could have come to a very simple agreement that the research vessel will ply the waters and do the research that they need to do," Marcos Jr. said.

However, the President voiced suspicion about the true purpose of the vessels, hinting at potential ulterior motives.

"There is a suspicion that they are not only research vessels," he said, "so, again, this is a bit of an escalation of the tension that is present in the West Philippines Sea."

Formerly identified as Benham Rise, the Philippine Rise is an underwater plateau situated along the northeastern seaboard of the country, which is believed to be rich in oil, gas and marine resources.

Ray Powell, a former US Air Force official and ex-Defense Attaché, raised concerns earlier this month about the appearance of two Chinese research vessels loitering in the  area.

Powell identified the vessels as Haiyang Dizhi Liuhao and Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, noting their navigation between Basco, Batanes, and neighboring islands close to the main Luzon island.

In September of the previous year, reports surfaced of at least three Chinese survey ships operating in the eastern area of the Philippine Sea, near the Philippine Rise.