Calls to demilitarize WPS pro-China — Malaya

The National Security Council on Wednesday slammed the calls for demilitarization of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), noting it is pro-China and contrary to national interest.

NSC Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya described the “repeated cry” of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and their allied Leftist organizations to demilitarize the WPS as a “dramatic and blanket call.”

“Why call on the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are deployed to the nine occupied features of the Philippines to leave?” he stressed.

Malaya lamented that the AFP leaving the country’s occupied features in the WPS is “tantamount to dereliction of duty and betrayal of public trust.”

“Who will take advantage of the vacuum? China,” he asked.

Malaya urged Bayan to instead call out China’s presence in the WPS.

He said Bayan should remember that China built artificial islands and military bases in the territorial waters of the Philippines.

“The AFP is merely doing garrison duties, doing their jobs in accordance with international law and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, why should they pull out of the West PH Sea? The Philippine Navy is performing its mandate to secure the territorial integrity of the Philippines and protect our fishermen, why should they pull out of the WPS?” said Malaya.

He added that Bayan's call for the United States to leave the WPS was also a “misplaced move” as there was no American presence in the WPS.

"There are no US troops deployed to any of the islands in the WPS. When US warships pass through, they are doing freedom of navigation operations as permitted by international law. So, what is there to demilitarize?” he noted.

Malaya said that Bayan should be “more circumspect because they are falling into the trap of the Chinese Communist Party.”

"If the AFP leaves the WPS and the US Navy stops its freedom of navigation operations, who does that favor? China definitely. That will embolden China more,” he further stressed.