Marcos: Phl to refrain from sending gray ship in WPS to avoid tensions

The Philippines will refrain from sending military ships to the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. said, noting that doing so, "would be seen" as "provocative" and could further "escalate tensions."

In an ambush interview in Bulacan on Tuesday, Marcos maintained that the Philippines will not resort to deploying the Philippine Navy’s warships despite China’s continuing aggressions in the area.

Last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported intimidation acts by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Filipino vessels conducting civilian missions for Masinloc fishermen.

The CCG vessels, in tandem with China’s gray ships operated by People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels, “simultaneously shadowed, blocked, and maneuvered dangerously” against the PCG vessels and the Filipino fishermen.

PLAN is China’s naval branch of its armed forces and is considered the world’s largest navy.

China’s positioning of its gray ships in the WPS has been ongoing, but the government noted it was the “first time” that a PLAN vessel was involved in direct intimidation activity at a close distance of 300 yards from Philippine ships.

As the government is “alarmed” by China’s developing aggressions using military ships, National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the Philippines “reserves its right” to deploy its own gray ships in the WPS “in the future.”

“We do not want to be sending signals to China that they can do what they want simply because we do not want to escalate. No, it is they that first deployed the PLAN ship; therefore, it is also within the right of the Philippines, and we reserve that right to deploy our Philippine Navy ships in the future,” he said.

Malaya, however, maintained that the government still does not wish to provoke its adversaries in the WPS.

“In this case, the PRC decided to utilize the PLAN ship in blocking a civilian ship of the Philippines—so we are alarmed by this development, and as I said, we reserve the right to deploy our Philippine Navy ships as well because it's unfair, it's unequal if a civilian ship is facing a warship of the People's Republic of China,” he said.

National Maritime Council (NMC) spokesperson Alexander Lopez said otherwise, stressing the Marcos administration is adamant about resolving territorial disputes with China through “diplomatic means.”

Hence, the Philippines “cannot deploy” its warships closer to the PLAN vessels as it “might lead to further escalation” of the situation in the WPS.

For the PCG, the deployment of Philippine warships to the WPS amid China’s continued harassment depends on Marcos’ decisions.

Marcos stressed that there’s no need for the Philippines to deploy its gray ships in the WPS as the government “always tries to bring down the level of tension” in the region.

“We are not at war. We don’t need Navy warships. All we are doing is resupplying our fishermen, and protecting our territorial rights. Again, it will be provocative and will be seen as an escalation. We don’t do that,” Marcos told reporters.

The President stressed that the government will continue protecting Filipino fishermen and assert the country's sovereign rights over the WPS despite China’s continuing aggressions.

“We are going to continue to perform our mission. We will never be part of an escalation in the situation in the West Philippine Sea. If we look at the evolution of the situation in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has never been an agent of escalation of tensions,” Marcos said.