Phl-US joint patrol not meant to escalate WPS tension, China must abide by UNCLOS—AFP spox

The ongoing maritime air patrol between the Philippines and the United States is not meant to escalate the tension in the West Philippine Sea, the military spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, said Wednesday.

Aguilar emphasized that all actions being conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines with its allied counterparts are legal and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).

"It is not meant to escalate the tension and all our actions and intentions are in accordance with international laws and conventions," he said.

"It is a show of our firm resolve to assert our sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and commitment to uphold such conventions that promote peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts," he added.

Aguilar, meanwhile, urged China to also abide by international law.

"We hope and expect China to do the same. Just to be specific that they will also abide by international law and conventions that promote the peaceful settlement of the conflict and the same convention that regulates their behavior at sea, so there should be no dangerous maneuver, there should be no harassment, and there should be no use of water cannon," Aguilar said.