Tarriela: Chinese vessels in WPS increased after Duterte admin

Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for WPS of the Philippine Coast Guard. INQUIRER.net file photo / Arnel Tacson

MANILA, Philippines — There have been more Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea during the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. compared to his predecessor, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said this is because China did not need to deploy a bigger fleet during the time of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We can fairly say there is an increase but again this is in relation with our response of transparency telling the world about their kind of harassment,” Tarriela said over ANC interview when asked if there were more Chinese vessels during Marcos time compared to Duterte’s.

Tarriela did not further elaborate as to the number of vessels compared from Duterte to Marcos’ administration.

However, he noted that the “level of provocation” remains the same.

“The only difference is that they don’t need to send more vessels because in the first place we have already folded, they have already told the Filipino people that we cannot do anything about it,” Tarriela said of Duterte’s administration.

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“But for our President who chose to publicize and expose these kinds of illegal actions, they need to flex more muscle for them to threaten us and that’s the reason and the explanation why China has more vessel deployment now in the West Philippine Sea compared with the previous administration,” he continued.

Duterte pivoted to China but President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reversed this move.

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Marcos green lighted joint patrols and military exercises with the United States in the West Philippine Sea and allowed Washington access to four more Philippine military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which earned the ire of China.

Beijing asserts sovereignty in the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by a July 2016 international tribunal ruling that stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013.