Major General Cornelio Valencia Jr., assistant director general of the National Security Council (NSC), said the Philippines holds “moral ascendency” in the ongoing dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.

Last Sunday, 12 October, a fleet of Chinese vessels approached and surrounded Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. The fleet included more than 15 Chinese maritime militia ships, five China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) ship, and a helicopter.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels were stationed near Pag-asa Island to deliver aid and protect Filipino fishermen from Chinese intimidation. Three Philippine vessels — the BRP Datu Bankaw, BRP Datu Sanday, and BRP Datu Pagbuaya — were hit by water cannons from Chinese ships. The BRP Datu Pagbuaya sustained the most damage after its stern was rammed by a CCG vessel.

The incident is the closest reported harassment in Philippine territorial waters, occurring just three kilometers from Pag-asa Island — roughly the distance between Manila’s Luneta Park and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City.

Despite China’s increasingly aggressive tactics, Major General Valencia said the Philippines will not be intimidated or driven away. He emphasized that a steady maritime presence is crucial in standing the country’s ground in the dispute.

He added that China’s harassment reflects its awareness that the Philippines is backed by international law and said the bullying exposes China’s true nature to other countries.

He said in Filipino, “We have taken the position of a rules-based international order. What we stand for is our moral ascendancy and moral ground.”

Valencia stressed that the Philippines’ strength lies not in force but in principle. Maintaining maritime presence, providing aid and protection for local fishermen, and adhering to international law strengthen the country’s position before the global community.