By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday warned of a new phase of escalation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following the reported blocking by Chinese personnel of a medical evacuation for a Filipino sailor aboard the BRP Sierra Madre.
He vowed the Philippines would continue defending its sovereign rights.
“Unfortunately, there really is an escalation,” Marcos said at a media briefing in Singapore, noting that Chinese personnel were increasingly imposing requirements and demanding permission for Philippine operations in the disputed waters.
The President said the latest incident would figure in discussions with Beijing, including those concerning the provisional understanding between the two countries and negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.
Marcos said the medical evacuation incident was particularly distressing because the Filipino sailor needed treatment.
“Medevac lang naman ‘yan eh. May sakit nga ‘yung tao. Bakit naman tayo, ba’t tayo naman pipigilan para gamutin ‘yung tao natin na may sakit (It was only a medical evacuation. The person was sick. Why would we be stopped from retrieving our own personnel for medical treatment)?” he said.
He noted that even during wartime, humanitarian missions such as those involving the Red Cross are allowed to pass.
Despite the reported obstruction, Marcos said Filipino personnel managed to carry out their mission through their skill, courage and determination.
He praised those supporting Filipino fishers and maintaining the presence of the BRP Sierra Madre, saying they help defend the country’s territory and sovereign rights.
The President said the Philippines is receiving assistance from several countries that support its position based on international law, including through new forms of engagement in the region.
He stressed that the Philippines would not comply with what it considers unauthorized demands for permission to conduct operations in its own territory.
“Nobody . . . In my own property, you’re going to tell me what I’m allowed to do and not to do, within my own territory?” Marcos said.
He added that the Philippines continued to issue Notices to Airmen as part of standard operating procedures, but rejected the notion that it needed to seek permission for its activities.
Marcos said the latest developments put Filipino fishers and Coast Guard personnel at risk, underscoring the need to sustain the country’s presence and support operations in the WPS.
