MANILA, Philippines — It’s up to President Marcos to decide if he would allow the deployment of warships in the West Philippine Sea as a foil to China’s growing aggressiveness in asserting its illegal territorial claim, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) official said yesterday.

“The President himself has the full authority to decide on this but as far as the PCG is concerned, we are going to support whatever decision that the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and our commander-in-chief will carry out,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea issue, said at a news forum when asked if there is now a need for the deployment of Philippine Navy ships in the country’s territorial waters to counter China’s hostile moves at sea, usually targeting vessels from the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Tarriela said he sees no problem with the use of gray ships, but clarified he is not making a recommendation.

“All I am saying is that in terms of reciprocity, that can be a policy option that can be carried out,” he said.

He maintained that as earlier pointed out by Marcos, the Philippines is a peace-loving nation that will never instigate a war, especially with its neighbors.

He said it is up to the AFP to bring up policy recommendations to Marcos, who as President is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.

Tarriela declined to discuss in detail PCG’s next move in the face of the latest incident in the West Philippine Sea last Wednesday when China coast guard and naval ships fired water cannons and rammed PCG and BFAR vessels in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

The incident prompted Philippine authorities to file another diplomatic protest against Beijing.

He said that while Philippine Navy ships regularly conduct monitoring activities in the area, they don’t interfere in operations of Chinese vessels even if they are harassing Filipinos. “They don’t interfere with harassment of the Chinese Coast Guard, the Chinese Maritime Militia against the Filipino fishermen and the PCG and the BFAR,” Tarriela pointed out.

The last time a Philippine warship faced off with Chinese vessels was in 2012 in Panatag Shoal, when it tried to stop Chinese poachers from escaping with their loot of giant clams, baby sharks and endangered marine resources.

A standoff ensued when a Chinese navy ship intervened to help the poachers escape. The Chinese have since maintained a permanent presence in the shoal in violation of a “gentleman’s agreement” that both parties would leave the area to end the impasse.

The Chinese ruse prompted the administration of then president Benigno Aquino III to contest in 2013 China’s claim over Panatag Shoal and other land features within Philippine territorial waters before the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague.

The arbitral court ruled in favor of Manila in July 2016 by invalidating China’s expansive claim and reaffirming the Philippines’ own maritime entitlements.

Since the Panatag standoff, the Philippines has been deploying only civilian vessels from the PCG and the BFAR for patrol missions in the West Philippine Sea in order not to escalate tensions.

“We were a victim of the Chinese propaganda that we are militarizing the dispute,” Tarriela said.

On Friday, the Philippines completed joint air and naval exercises with the US and Japan in the West Philippine Sea, without interference or disruption from the Chinese.

The AFP said this year’s 5th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) was completed successfully inside the country’s exclusive economic zone under the territorial jurisdiction of the military’s Northern Luzon Command.

“None were monitored,” said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS, when asked if any Chinese military and coast guard vessels were spotted during the conduct of the combined naval exercises.

The 5th MMCA came on the heels of last Wednesday’s incident near Panatag Shoal involving Chinese warships and smaller PCG and BFAR vessels.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs office chief, said the Philippine Navy’s BRP Andres Bonifacio and a C-90 aircraft, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Murasame-class destroyer JS Samidare and the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 47 participated in the combined naval exercises.

He said the activities included communications checks, subject matter expert exchange, pre-sail conference, photo exercise and division tactics, which all showcased “enhanced interoperability and a shared commitment to maintaining regional peace and stability.”

“The activity underscored the collective commitment of the three nations to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Trinidad added.

Building on previous MMCAs and ongoing collaborative operations, the AFP said the exercise enhanced the interoperability of defense doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures among the participating forces.

“Conducted in full compliance with international law, the MMCA emphasized respect for the safety of navigation and the maritime rights of all states,” Trinidad said.

He explained the 5th MMCA included a range of coordinated operations designed to enhance interoperability and strengthen maritime capabilities.

“These drills emphasized collaborative defense strategies and reinforced the commitment of the participating forces to maintain regional security and stability,” he said.

“The MMCA reaffirms the partner nations’ dedication to working closely together to maintain security and stability in the region, promoting a rules-based maritime order and enhancing regional cooperation,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, China has branded the US and other countries that have voiced support for the Philippines as “troublemakers.”

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy particularly slammed US Ambassador Marykay Carlson for allegedly making groundless accusations.

“The United States and those allies are not parties to the issue of the South China Sea and have no right to interfere in the maritime disputes between China and the Philippines,” the Chinese embassy said Friday night.

“We urge these countries to earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop sowing discord and adding fuel to the fire and stop being troublemakers for peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the Chinese embassy also said in a statement.

It said Carlson “overlooked basic facts and made groundless accusations against China’s legitimate measures for protecting its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

“We firmly oppose and condemn her accusation,” it added.

“Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory,” the embassy spokesman said, referring to the name assigned by Beijing for Panatag Shoal. “On Dec. 4, ignoring multiple warnings from China, the Philippines sent Coast Guard and official vessels there in an attempt to intrude into China’s territorial sea surrounding Huangyan Dao,” the embassy claimed.

“China took necessary actions in response to protect our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with the law. The measures are justified, lawful, professional and restrained. China has also released the on-site video,” the statement said.

“The PRC’s unlawful use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers disrupted a Philippine maritime operation on Dec. 4, putting lives at risk. We condemn these actions and stand with our likeminded Friends, Partners, Allies in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Carlson said in a post on X.

Japan, the United Kingdomowin online casino, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, France, Canada, Germany, Finland and Norway also issued statements expressing serious concern over the latest incident. — Michael Punongbayan

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