Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela has urged Filipino voters to look into candidate’s platforms, especially their stand on territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
“If we are going to elect senators, congressmen, or even local government unit executives, make sure that they do not get elected because they are pro-China, they are not pro-Philippines and they don’t respect our AFP and PCG,” he said in a news forum on Saturday.
He noted that if these individuals get elected, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will have a hard time pushing their modernization program and enhance their capabilities as lawmakers will block their budget as the West Philippine Sea does not seem important.
While Tarriela explained he is not endorsing any candidates or party, he called for Filipinos to support candidates who show their desire to defend Philippine sovereignty.
“My position when it comes to the West Philippine Sea issue, it is not a political issue... it is an issue for all of us as Filipinos regardless of who you are supporting. Whether you are supporters of the former admin or the current admin… let's look one by one at the candidates they are endorsing, whether they support our fight in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
He mentioned that there are politicians who seemed to show support and capitalize on the issue with hopes of getting noticed by the public but have never shown support to the Philippines and instead take China’s side claiming that West Philippine Sea should not be included in the national conversation.
Unlike before, Tarriela said, Filipinos are now expressing concern over the situation in the West Philippine Sea and are aware of the efforts being taken by the government to ensure that the disputed waters are guarded.
“You can no longer fool Filipinos that you’ll use a jet-ski. For more than three years, we have shown Filipinos what the real situation is in the West Philippine Sea, no Filipino will be fooled by promises of jet-skiing and carrying the Philippine flag to challenge China. If you are going to select those candidates right now, you need to look at their track record. What was their position in the law?” Tarriela stressed.
While the PCG official did not specifically named a particular individual, it can be recalled that former President Rodrigo Duterte was the one who made such statement and later on said that he meant it as a “joke” and called those who believed it as “stupid”.
Tarriela reiterated that asserting the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea is an intergenerational battle.
“This is our responsibility for the next generation. We need to keep on amplifying that position. This is not for us, this is for the next generation of Filipinos, let’s make sure they know why we are fighting for this,” he said.
The Philippines has been involved in a long-standing territorial dispute with China. Since the 2016 Arbitral ruling, which affirmed that the West Philippine Sea – part of the South China Sea claimed by China – belongs to the Philippines, China has continued to assert its authority over the area. This region is crucial for trade and commerce not only for China and the Philippines but also for other neighboring countries in the region.
While the Philippines is garnering support for regional stability, China continues its claim and refuses to recognize the Hague ruling despite being open to communications.