Philippine flag (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The Philippines is far from "war footing" when it comes to the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

Thus, said Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. as he rejected a notion from Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel that the Philippines was letting the United States (US) "have its way" to the potential endangerment of Filipinos. 

Manuel, in one of his questions Thursday, Sept. 7 during the interpellation on DND's 2024 budget, asked Teodoro: "Bakit po natin hinahayaan yung US na para bang ang footing na ay magkaroon ng digmaan sa West Philippine Sea? Hindi ba yan dangerous para sa atin?" 

(Why are we letting the US have their way as if they're moving toward war footing in the West Philippine Sea? Isn't that dangerous for us?) 

Teodoro answered: "Hindi po ganun ang aking pananaw (That's not how I see it)." 

"Sino ba ho nagwa-water cannon, US ba po o Tisna? Sino ho ba ang nasa war footing, tayo ho ba o sila? Sa akin po, malayo po at ayoko pong magka-giyera (Who committed the water cannon attack, US or China? Who is on war footing, us or them? For me, that's far from it and I don't want a war)," he told the militant solon. 
 

Last Aug. 5, two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels on a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal off Palawan were blasted with water cannons by the China Coast Guard. Sierra Madre, which serves as a Philippine outpost, was carrying a platoon of Filipino soldiers. 

The US is a long-time military ally of the Philippines. The Western power is viewed as the rival of Asian giant China. 

Regarding alliances, Teodoro said: "Ang pag-aalansya po ay hindi bago. Ang Tsina rin ay nag-aalyansa sa ibang mga bansa. Sila po ay active sa kanilang mga alliances (Forging alliances isn't new. China also joins alliances with other countries. They are active in this alliances). 

Manuel was echoing concerns that the US has been bringing the Philippines closer to the war path with all its "meddling" in the WPS. 

And while China was referred to as expansionist by Manuel, the youth solon claimed that the US "has also been being the same for decades in the different regions of the planet". 

To this, Teodoro interjected: "Hindi po nila ginagawa sa Pilipinas yun (They're not doing that to the Philippines)."