Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Tuesday, July 4 slammed the recent reported aggression of the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels that were in a resupply mission last June 30 and which was reported by the United States Air Force.
"The protection of our national interests, and the safety of our PCG personnel, are of paramount importance. We must not tolerate acts that threaten our national security and undermine our sovereignty,” Estrada said in a statement. While the Philippine government has yet to receive confirmation either from the PCG or the Department of National Defense (DND) regarding the June 30 incident, nonetheless, Estrada said he is “deeply concerned about the reported acts of aggression against the PCG.” “This violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as endangers the safety and security of our maritime forces,” he lamented. “These repeated provocations by Chinese vessels are unacceptable and violate international laws and norms,” he added. “Our government has the sovereign right to enforce our laws and protect our marine resources within our territorial waters and any interference from foreign entities is a direct affront to our national interests,” the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation chairperson stressed. Nevertheless, he said, all the government, and all concerned agencies should, pursue all available legal and diplomatic avenues to address this issue and seek appropriate remedies. “Diplomatic channels should be utilized to convey our strong condemnation and demand for an immediate halt to these aggressive actions,” he emphasized.