PH Navy warships in WPS not needed — Marcos

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said Philippine Navy warships need not be deployed to the West Philippine Sea despite China's continuing aggression and use of its own navy in the contested waters.

"We are not at war," the President said.

Marcos said, "We don't need Navy warships. All we are doing is resupplying our fishermen, protecting our territorial rights."

"Again, it will be provocative and will be seen as an escalation… we don't do that. The Philippines does not escalate tensions. Quite the opposite, the Philippines always tried to bring down the level of tension," he added.

Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the final decision on deploying Navy vessels to "shadow" Philippine missions in the resource-rich region lies with Marcos.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson on the WPS, said it is up to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to make a policy recommendation to Marcos "and the commander-in-chief, the President himself, has the full authority to decide on this."

Last Wednesday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) launched water cannon attacks and sideswiped the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a civilian vessel of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in the vicinity of the Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

A People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship was seen shadowing a PCG vessel as it made its way to the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, Philippine officials had said.

Speaking about the incident, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said the PLA Navy ships "participated in the blocking or aggressive movements of Chinese vessels."

Also on Tuesday, the President said the Philippines has never been an agent of escalation in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos said the Philippine forces would continue to perform its mission in the region.

“We will never be part of an escalation in the situation in the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said.

“If we look at the evolution of the situation  in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has never been an agent of escalation of tensions,” he added.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila had said Philippine vessels had attempted to intrude into Chinese territorial waters off Huangyan Dao, China's name for Bajo de Masinloc, Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal.

It claimed that CCG forces had acted lawfully to control the situation. — VDV/RSJ, GMA Integrated News