MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela challenged Vice President Sara Duterte’s proposal to form a diplomatic team to address tensions in the West Philippine Sea, stressing that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has long been pursuing diplomatic engagement with China.
Tarriela said the problem was not the absence of diplomatic initiatives but China’s alleged failure to honor agreements and its continued refusal to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling favoring the Philippines’ maritime rights.
“Ang suggestion ninyo pong magpadala ng diplomat ay matagal nang ginagawa ng DFA, noon pa man hanggang ngayon. Ang problema po ay ang kabilang panig na hindi isinasabuhay ang anumang napag-usapan,” Tarriela said.
His remarks came in response to Duterte’s suggestion that the government assemble a team of diplomats to engage China in discussions over the territorial and maritime disputes.
Duterte acknowledged the tensions between Manila and Beijing but emphasized the importance of maintaining broader bilateral relations, particularly in trade and employment.
“Mayroon tayong problema, totoo. Pero mayroon ding ibang aspeto ang relasyon natin,” Duterte said, pointing to Filipinos who work and conduct business in China.
She suggested that the government send a diplomatic team to engage Chinese officials in discussions rather than allow territorial disputes to dominate bilateral relations.
However, Tarriela rejected the implication that the Philippines was responsible for escalating tensions in disputed waters.
“Mam Sara, itigil na po natin ang pag-iisip na tayo ang troublemaker! Hindi po tayo ang nang-aaway!” he said.
Tarriela pointed to China’s use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels, arguing that the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) were merely carrying out their responsibility to protect Filipino fishermen operating within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“China po ang gumagamit ng water cannon at dangerous maneuvers. Ang PCG at BFAR ay pinoprotektahan lamang ang ating mga mangingisda sa sarili nating EEZ,” he stressed.
The Coast Guard official maintained that diplomatic efforts have been ongoing for years, but their effectiveness has been undermined by Beijing’s actions in contested waters.
In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s claims to historic rights within its nine-dash line had no legal basis insofar as they exceeded the maritime entitlements permitted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
China has rejected the ruling, while the Philippines continues to invoke it in asserting its maritime rights.
Tarriela’s response highlighted the differing approaches to the West Philippine Sea issue, with Duterte emphasizing diplomatic engagement and broader economic relations, while the PCG official insisted that diplomacy was already being pursued alongside efforts to defend Philippine maritime rights.
The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between Manila and Beijing over maritime activities, fishing rights, and access to resources in the West Philippine Sea.
