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Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor ‘’JV’’ Ejercito laments China’s bullying tactics against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels and Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). "Ang nakakalungkot dito ang China laging ipinapalabas na tayo ay magkaalyado, magkaibigan pero ang ginagawa ng kanilang coast guard at militia nila ay talagang bastusan na ito, saka bullying talaga (What is sad is that China goes at great lengths to show that we are its allies, its friends but what Chinese Coast Guard and militia do is a clear case of very bad manners and bullying),’’ Ejercito said during a DWIZ radio interview Saturday, April 29. He was referring to the recent near-collision between a small PCG vessel and a larger Chinese Coast Guard vessel in the WPS. A collision was avoided when the PCG vessel maneuvered to avoid the foreign vessel. Ejercito said that the Philippines is not a super power and has no capability to match China’s military might. ‘’So talagang binubully nila at dahandahan talagang inaangkin na nila ang ating mga teritoryo (So China is really bullying us while it continues to take over our territory),’’ he pointed out. What the Philippines should do, according to Ejercito is to forge alliances with ‘’right thinking nations’’, countries that are our most likely allies that are also being bullied by China such as Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam and eventually ally with  Australia and the US. Such alliances are not meant to be aggressive but to help in making parts of the South China Sea open to maritime passage ‘’para di nananakot ang mga barko ng China (so that Chinese vessels would not threaten their vessels)", he added. Asked whether China’s bullying has something to do with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA) sites between the Philippines and United States (US), Ejercito said this is ‘’possible". He cited the US visit of the Taiwan President and visit of US political leaders to Taiwan caused China showed its aggressiveness by staging military drills near Taiwan. ‘’Wala silang pakialam kahit tayo ay kaalyado ng ibang bansa (They do not care whether we are allies of other countries),’’ he added. On the US trip and meeting of President Ferdinand ‘’Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr. with US President Joe Biden, Ejercito said the Philippines is known as a close ally of the US but on the ‘’military side na ibinibigay isa tayo sa mababa, kung talagang kakampi natin sila yung MDT dapat totohanin (on the military side, we are one of those given very low assistance and if we are really its ally, it should make the Military Defense Treaty believable)". He said President Marcos should also emphasize to Biden that the US should prioritize Philippine produce.