May 04, 2024 - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will not be provoked by China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), according to a PCG official. Commodore Jay Tarriela of the West Philippine Sea Transparency Office of the PCG made this statement during a news forum held in Quezon City on Saturday.
Tarriela brushed off public criticisms regarding the PCG’s response to China’s recent provocative actions in the WPS. He emphasized that the Coast Guard personnel have a chain of command to follow and respect the guidance of the President.
“The guidance of the President is that we should not be provoked, we should not be the reason for intensifying the escalation for China to justify to once again bring the next level of aggression, whatever their plan may be,” Tarriela said.
He also noted that the Coast Guard personnel share the level of emotion the public is experiencing. “But we cannot do otherwise because we have to comply and we know for a fact – we trust our Commander-in-Chief, the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea, of course, the National Security Adviser – but we have to maintain professionalism in dealing with this kind of bullying of the Chinese Coast Guard,” he explained.
Tarriela defended the Coast Guard personnel, stating it’s unfair to describe them as cowards. “We are just doing our patriotic duty,” he said.
The statement comes after China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels blasted water cannons against PCG’s BRP Bagacay and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ BRP Datu Bankaw last April 30, causing over P2 million in damages.
This incident underscores the ongoing tension in the West Philippine Sea and the resilience of the Philippine Coast Guard in the face of adversity.