PCG defends US, other countries supporting PH on WPS issue

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dismissed China's claims about a supposed "hidden agenda" on the part of Manila's allies on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.

“While it is true that there is no such thing as free lunch, unlike China, our allies do not take away our lunch especially if it is rightfully ours,” said PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Tarriela's response is a reaction to an editorial article in the Chinese government-supported publication Global Times.

The article read, “The Philippines must remain vigilant against the ‘enthusiasm’ displayed by the US and some other countries. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and behind the US' "enthusiasm" lies a hidden agenda.”

Tarriela said the Philippines will keep its vigilance against “bullies” and will continue to welcome countries that support its interests.

He also called out China for blaming the actions of the Philippines as well as the US for the rising tensions in the South China Sea. For him, China’s actions are the “main source” of the conflict.

“Until now, the [People's Republic of China] has not come to terms with the fact that their fabricated narratives and baseless claims about the alleged aggressive actions of the Philippines are not that convincing,” Tarriela said.

“Instead, they weaken their own argument that the US is the primary instigator of the rising tensions in the South China Sea,” he added.

Recently, Chinese state media People's Daily also published a commentary accusing the Philippines of infringing on China's territory, spreading false information, and colluding with other countries to cause trouble.

In response, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Philippines is not provoking conflict in the South China Sea.

"[The] Philippines is not provoking conflict. We follow international law and we are only implementing our domestic law," AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar said.

Aguilar said the Philippines is not conducting activities that will put vessels and seafarers in danger, and instead accused China of performing dangerous maneuvers that sometimes result in collisions at sea.

"They are the ones committing all the violations," Aguilar said, pointing out that the Philippines was just conducting activities within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

For him, it was China who was conducting shadowing activities, dangerous maneuvers, and water cannon attacks, as well as causing collisions.

China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines and other countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 

An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China's claim in a ruling on a case brought by the Philippines.

Beijing has refused to acknowledge the decision. —VAL, GMA Integrated News