The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday, Feb. 19, reaffirmed its commitment to ensure the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This, after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assured the Filipinos that not an inch of Philippine territory will be lost to other nation amid the continuing aggressive acts of China in the West Philippine Sea.
“Primordial in every action taken by the Armed Forces of the Philippines is its constitutional duty to protect the people and the State. It shall always be true and committed to its mission of safeguarding our country’s sovereignty,” said Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson.
Aguilar said the soldiers, sailors, pilots, and marines “are resolute in ensuring that the interests of the Filipino people in the West Philippine Sea are protected.”
“Guided by the President’s vision, which he emphasized in his message yesterday, our troops will always be ready to provide a safer, more peaceful, and progressive country,” he noted.
During the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming in Baguio City on Saturday, Feb. 18, Marcos assured the public that his administration would not allow even an inch of the Philippine territory to be ceded to other nation.
Marcos made the remark after the laser-pointing incident by the China Coast Guard (CCG) towards BRP Malapascua, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel, off Ayungin Shoal in WPS last Feb. 6 while supporting a rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine Navy. This caused temporary blindness among the Filipino crew, the PCG said.
But the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines insisted that the laser used by the CCG was only for measuring the speed and distance of the PCG vessel. They noted that the PCG vessel was intruding the waters that are part of their territory.
Ayungin Shoal lies at 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, or within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
For the AFP, Aguilar said that the AFP recognizes the need for all Filipinos to unite in facing “external challenges” and in advancing our national interest.
“We ask for their support and prayer as we, and our comrades in the Philippine Coast Guard, conduct maritime patrols to protect and preserve what rightfully belongs to us,” he said.