The attaché in China will only serve as a “focal person” on matters concerning Coast Guard functions such as maritime search and rescue, security, and environmental protection, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) cleared Wednesday.
This is in reaction to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Locsin’s statement on August 25 that the appointment "means we concede exclusive sovereignty over our coastal waters so they are now subject to discussion instead of automatic protest.”
The Coast Guard maintained their attaché in Beijing's “only goal” is to establish coordination on matters related to their functions.
The Coast Guard also explained it endorsed the creation of the Coast Guard attaché “to serve as a focal person who shall directly coordinate and facilitate future bilateral and multilateral engagements with China.”
“It was anchored on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the PCG and the China Coast Guard on the establishment of the Joint Coast Guard Committee to strengthen mutual trust, deepen confidence, intensify communication, and enhance friendly cooperation between two countries,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
“Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganun ang iintindi or na conclude ni Secretary, baka may iba siya, and we need to respect yung information niya. Ang sa amin yun lang goal namin, wala kaming ibang iniisip (I don't know why Secretary Locsin took it that way, perhaps he has another information and we have to respect it. For us, that's just our goal, we are not thinking of other things),” Commodore Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, said.
He disclosed that a request for a Coast Guard attache in Malaysia, Indonesia, and in the United States are ongoing while a maritime attache in London is already in existence.
According to the PCG, the request to have an attache in China was approved during the time of former Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino and was recommended by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to Locsin on Oct. 29 last year.
“While the PCG believes that the establishment of said post will significantly strengthen maritime cooperation between the Philippines and China, the service fully respects the decision of Secretary Locsin on the matter at hand and will continue to find ways to further secure the country’s maritime domain,” Balilo furthered.