Not changing tone on WPS, China tells PH

A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing has not toned down its position on its sea dispute with the Philippines after the top diplomats on both sides agreed to pursue continuous dialogue on the issue.

In a media briefing, Wang Wenbin said there is “no major change in China’s tone on the issue” and that Beijing would maintain its fight for sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a part of the bigger South China Sea that China unilaterally claims, despite an international court ruling that invalidates its claims.

In the face of Chinese intransigence and aggression, Congress vowed to allocate more funds to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to intensify patrols in the West Philippine Sea to defend the country’s territorial integrity.

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House is committed to providing funds for the President’s initiatives to strengthen the AFP.

Romualdez was among the officials accompanying President Marcos during the celebration of the 88th Anniversary of the AFP at its headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday.

“Our men and women in uniform are the steadfast guardians of our nation’s security. We owe them our deepest gratitude and firm support,” Romualdez said.

“The House aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a modern and well-equipped AFP, capable of effectively asserting our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights,” he added.

He highlighted that this commitment is reflected in the newly passed P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget, which allocates P285.69 billion to the defense sector, marking a significant increase compared to the P203.4 billion allocated in 2023.

Romualdez noted that the House has strategically realigned P1.23 billion in confidential funds from civilian agencies to frontline agencies responsible for national security and the protection of the country’s territorial rights in the WPS.

The House leader also reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the defense of the WPS, spanning from Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc off Zambales and Pangasinan in the north to Ayungin Shoal in Palawan in the south, is adequately funded.

“We are resolute in our goal to ensure a future where our fishermen can fish in peace, and our natural resources are managed sustainably for the Filipino people,” he declared.

The 2024 budget includes P1.5 billion for the expansion and development of the airport in Pag-asa Island.

An additional P800 million is set for constructing a sheltered port for fishermen and boats in Lawak, Palawan – the island nearest to Ayungin Shoal, where Filipino soldiers man a rusting Navy vessel, grounded there in 1999 as a symbol of Philippine presence.

These funds, Romualdez said, will support the AFP’s modernization, including purchasing advanced military equipment, patrol boats, aircraft, and communication systems, thereby enhancing maritime and border patrol capabilities.

Romualdez said the AFP can also rely on the House’s support for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and compensation of AFP personnel, acknowledging their dedication, and ensuring their morale.

In September, the House passed a bill proposing a guaranteed 3 percent annual salary increase for military and uniformed personnel for the first 10 years following the law’s enactment.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has said they would focus on asserting the Philippines’ authority over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

“It will be presented soon, but as the strategy (is) concretized into a working strategy, a documented strategy, there is a paradigm shift definitely, and on the defense side we are already taking the initiative with the comprehensive defense concept and what is important is that we have a goal (and) the goal is to project our authority over the whole of the EEZ and other areas where we have jurisdiction,” Teodoro said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

Asked if this would mean a change in Manila’s “friend to all policy” initiated by the past administration, Teodoro said the country remains friends with all provided that these countries also remain friendly.

“No, we are friends to all just as long as they are friends to us, we treat everybody as a friend just as long as they don’t take what is ours,” he added.

President Marcos earlier said he is looking at a “paradigm shift” in dealing with Chinese aggression in the WPS, noting that traditional methods of diplomacy have shown “very little progress.”

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