The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) asked the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to refrain from conducting aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) so as not to raise tension in the area this 2025.
PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela made the remark Thursday, Jan. 2, in response to an opinion piece published by Chinese media outlet Global Times which accused the Philippines of “playing victim” and sensationalizing conflicts” in the troubled WPS.
“First and foremost, the Philippines is not playing the victim in the West Philippine Sea; rather, it is China that is victimizing Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea,” Tarriela said on his X account.
He said China’s “bullying tactics” are not only being experienced by the Philippines but also Malaysia in Luconia Shoals, Indonesia in Natuna Islands, and Vietnam in Paracel Islands.
He warned that the PRC should expect the “anger and frustration” of the said countries “to rise against your bullying.”
“This year, I hope the Chinese Communist Party will stop deceiving its people and the international community with fabricated narratives and misinformation. It is important to speak the truth sincerely, as dishonesty is detrimental to business,” Tarriela said.
“Additionally, I encourage respect for the rule of law and adherence to international law, as violating them could jeopardize the order we all strive to maintain. In short, stop escalating the tension,” he noted.
On Jan. 1, the China Coast Guard (CCG) deployed the 12,000-ton vessel CCG-5901, nicknamed “The Monster” for its sheer size, to Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in the WPS along with three other CCG vessels and at least seven maritime militia, according to international maritime security analyst Ray Powell.
Powell, a retired United States Air Force officer, said this was done by China to boost their control over the area, a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishermen located just 120 nautical miles from the coast of Palawan.
Economic implications
Meanwhile, Tarriela also rejected the Global Times opinion piece’s claim that the Philippines’ economy was affected negatively by Manila’s strained relationship with Beijing.
“[S]ince the Philippines has embraced transparency in exposing your illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea, our GDP [gross domestic product] growth shows that our economic development remains robust and is not negatively impacted,” the PCG official said.
Last week, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the country’s economy was one of the fastest growing in Asia despite the global challenges it faced, including geopolitical tensions.
According to state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA), the economic growth reached 5.2 percent in the third quarter of 2024, bringing the average expansion to 5.8 percent in the first three quarters. The growth is expected to accelerate to six percent in the fourth quarter, based on estimate by economists.