The BRP Teresa Magbanua on the port of Puerto Princesa Metropolis. —File photograph from the Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines — Home Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez urges Filipinos to volunteer with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), notably as tensions proceed to rise over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In an announcement on Sunday, Romualdez stated Filipinos should take an lively position in defending the nation’s maritime territories from the intrusive actions of overseas powers — together with the unfold of misinformation, like claims that Palawan is a part of China.
“This isn’t the time to be silent. On daily basis, different nations attempt to occupy our seas. If we ourselves wouldn’t transfer, who else would defend our territories?” Romualdez, who was just lately promoted to vice admiral of the PCG Auxiliary (PCGA), stated in Filipino.
“No nation has the precise to dam our troops, our fisherfolk, and our individuals in our personal seas. We’d not commerce this out of concern or resulting from different individuals’s needs. The West Philippine Sea is ours — not solely on paper, but additionally in actual life,” he added.
Claiming Palawan
Tensions over the WPS rose once more after PCG noticed final February 4 Chinese language vessels close to Bajo de Masinloc, together with the so-called monster ship — Chinese language Coast Guard vessel CCG 5901.
READ: PCG spots ‘monster ship,’ extra China vessels at Bajo de Masinloc
Then, on February 18, a Chinese language army helicopter got here as shut as 3 meters above a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Assets airplane, which was conducting a patrol of the Panatag Shoal, one other sandbar on the WPS.
READ: Chinese language PLA Navy chopper will get as shut as 3 meters to BFAR airplane
On Chinese language social media platforms, movies have been posted exhibiting that the nine-dash line — China’s territorial declare that encompasses an enormous a part of the WPS or the Philippines’ unique financial zone — now included Palawan.
The Nationwide Historic Fee of the Philippines (NHCP) has already clarified that the island of Palawan by no means belonged to China, noting that the Philippines and its state predecessors have “at all times exercised sovereignty over our archipelago and over Palawan particularly.”
READ: Palawan was by no means a part of China – NHCP
China’s two-pronged strategy to its propaganda shouldn’t be allowed to prosper, Romualdez stated.
“They don’t seem to be solely utilizing ships, but additionally the web to make us succumb. At some point, we’ll simply get up and say that Palawan is not ours. We’d not enable this,” he burdened.
‘All of us can do one thing’
“Serving the nation is just not just for these in uniform. All of us can do one thing. By becoming a member of PCGA, we will do extra, our protection is strengthened,” he added.
In keeping with Romualdez, the PCGA permits civilians to contribute to nationwide protection, maritime safety, environmental safety, and catastrophe response by having volunteers help in search-and-rescue missions, coastal cleanups, and marine biodiversity conservation.
The PCGA welcomes Filipino residents aged 18 and above, together with these with expertise in maritime affairs, environmental conservation, and public security, he added.
Romualdez stated he was assured that Filipinos would heed his name, particularly after a Social Climate Stations survey confirmed that they like 2025 midterm election candidates who help the assertion of the Philippines’ rights over the WPS.
The survey, performed from February 15 to 19, revealed that 78 % of Filipinos would help candidates who imagine the Philippines should assert its rights over the disputed area, whereas solely 22 % again those that oppose this place.
“The battle on the West Philippine Sea doesn’t solely contain the federal government. It is a battle for all the nation. And if we wish our leaders to battle for our rights, we also needs to be within the lead,” Romualdez stated.
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“Allow us to not enable ourselves to be deceived. The battle for our sovereignty doesn’t occur in our seas solely but additionally in our minds. All of us have the duty of combating for the reality and our rights. If we won’t act now, when will we? We must always not watch for a brand new incident, a brand new impolite motion, and a brand new risk earlier than we act,” he added.
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