Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has denied rumors that there is a clash of views between President Duterte and the Department of National Defense (DND) on the issue of the country's maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
"President Duterte’s orders to us have been very firm and straightforward: Defend what is rightfully ours without going to war and maintain the peace in the seas. 'Yung nagsasabi na hindi kami align ng Presidente (For those saying that I am not aligned with the President), let me clarify that my pronouncements echo the stand of our President and Commander in Chief)," Lorenzana said in a statement Sunday night, May 2.
Lorenzana has recently been very vocal against the continued intrusion of Chinese vessels in the WPS. Many times in his previous statements that he demanded Beijing's military ships and fishing boats to leave the country's waters but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Duterte was criticized for his supposed defeatist stance on the issue as he insisted that China is "in possession" of the disputed areas in the WPS. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had said that Duterte is committed to resolve the tension between the Philippines and China in a diplomatic way.
This sparked rumors that some active and retired military generals were pulling out of their support to the President, a claim that was vehemently denied by Lorenzana and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
"As for our long standing and multi-faceted relationship with China, we maintain cooperation in various areas that are mutually beneficial to our peoples. We can be cordial and cooperative with other nations but not at the expense of our sovereignty and sovereign rights," Lorenzana said.
While the Defense Chief acknowledged that China's military was more equipped than the AFP, he stressed that "this does not deter us from defending our national interest, and our dignity as a people, with all that we have."
"Thus, the conduct of maritime patrol in the WPS and Kalayaan Island Group by the Philippine Cost Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will continue. The government will not waver in its position. Walang alisan (We will not leave the area)," Lorenzana said.
He also said that the latest developments in the WPS make way for a path where all stakeholders should cooperate to avoid destabilizing the peace and security in the region, including adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"They can now take this as an opportunity to advance the values and principles we collectively affirm and profess to respect - including the peaceful settlement of disputes - as partners and as signatories to UNCLOS and all relevant international instruments," Lorenzana concluded.