CHINA recently released their new coastguard regulation in connection to the contested territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Based on that regulation, China has the right to detain, arrest, and expel fishermen, for instance, those who trespass in what they claim as their waters, without due process.
During a public briefing this Monday, National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said this is alarming.
“This is of concern to our government and other governments in the region, because this is not only applied, it is not only applied in the Philippines. It also applies to Taiwan for example, to Brunei, Indonesia to Malaysia all the countries that are there in the South China Sea and in particular our 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone,” Jonathan Malaya, Asst. Dir. General, NSC stated.
Malaya added that China’s issuance of such new regulations following the Atin Ito civilian convoy is alarming to the Philippine government.
He said it is considered provocative and escalatory.
It is said that on June 15, China will start implementing their new coastguard regulation.
New coastguard regulation in WPS a part of China’s ‘scare tactics’ says NSC
But, Malaya thinks, this is just part of China’s scare tactics.
In the position of the National Security Council, it will not be intimidated and defeated by this action of Beijing.
Malaya also insisted that Filipino fishermen should continue fishing and uphold the right to the West Philippine Sea because he said it is part of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EZZ) of the Philippines.
“In 2021, they also released a new coast guard with similar powers and authority, but they didn’t do it. It’s been how many years since then, so what we think and what the Philippine Coast Guard also thinks, this is an empty threat on the part of China,” Malaya added.
Should China do this, Malaya announced that President Bongbong Marcos and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año have ordered the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) along with other assets such as the Philippine Navy to intensify their presence in the West Philippine Sea.
“On the part of our Naval assets, greater presence so that in the event of an incident like this, they can call someone and our ships can come to the rescue,” he said.
