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The Chief of Staff of the ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Cirilito Sobejana, said that they will increase the visibility of naval assets in the disputed Western Philippine Sea (South China Sea) to ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen in the light. of China’s new law ordering its forces. open fire against foreign ships entering its territory.
“But I just want to make it clear that our Navy presence there is not to wage war against China, but to secure our own people,” Sobejana said at a televised press conference on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.
Sobejana said China’s new law, which is the subject of a diplomatic protest presented by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., is “very alarming.”
He said Filipinos go to the disputed area not to wage war but to fish.
“I must say that it is a very irresponsible statement because we are not, our compatriots did not go to that place, to the disputed area to go to war but to work,” he said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, said China is primarily concerned about armed ships. He urged Filipino fishermen to continue their activities in the disputed territory.
But he had also expressed concern that China’s new law would cause miscalculations and accidents, as ships from the Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy are patrolling the disputed area.
He said he will consult partner countries on how to address the issue.
Lorenzana and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III discussed the situation at the WPS and the AFP’s capacity upgrades by phone Tuesday.
Lorenzana said Austin reaffirmed his commitment to the Philippines-United States alliance through the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that govern the visit of the United States armed forces to the Philippines.
China refuses to acknowledge the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, which favored the Philippines and rejected China’s claim on the disputed seas. (SunStar Philippines)
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