The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said it will continue sustaining its operations within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), despite China’s rejection of Manila’s enforcement of its archipelagic sea lanes law.
Speaking at a press conference at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, AFP spokesperson for the WPS Roy Vincent Trinidad said the military remains firm in carrying out its mandate under both international and domestic law.
“The AFP will keep performing its mandate based on international law and domestic law,” Trinidad said, stressing that the direction of the armed forces is clear.
“We are here to implement comprehensive archipelagic defense operations. This would mean that we should be able to secure and protect all the way up to our EEZ and even beyond the EEZ,” he added.
Trinidad said the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army, through their joint headquarters, are working to ensure the projection and sustainability of forces across Philippine maritime zones.
“Our operational plans are in place. They will be executed in 2026 by the appropriate unified commanders. In short, we will keep performing our mandate regardless of what domestic or foreign actors would say,” he said.
Asked about a recently released video by the Chinese Embassy showing a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessel assisting a Filipino fisherman, Trinidad said rendering assistance at sea is a basic obligation of all mariners and should not be used for propaganda.
“First and foremost, all mariners are mandated to render assistance to fellow mariners regardless of flag, creed, or nationality,” he said.
“Such assistance need not be publicized, especially by a country with a record of coercive and aggressive actions. Doing so diminishes the essence of the assistance and turns it into propaganda,” he added.
Trinidad also responded to a Chinese government report claiming that authorities would implement strict protection measures at Scarborough Shoal to prevent further environmental damage, a move Manila fears could be used to assert greater control over the disputed feature.
“Our response remains the same,” Trinidad said. “We will continue to perform our mandate and keep conducting our patrols over land, sea, and air.”
The AFP has repeatedly said it will uphold Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights in the WPS amid ongoing tensions with China in the strategically vital waterway.
The WPS forms part of the South China Sea, large portions of which are claimed by Beijing.