Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China

MANILA: Amid the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr has announced decisive measures to protect his country's sovereignty and maritime rights while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Marcos, known as Bongbong, said that the measures, aimed at addressing what he said is the "open, unabating, and illegal" actions by China's Coast Guard and maritime militia, have been taken following consultations with national security and defence leaders.

In a post on social media platform X, the Philippines President said, "Over the course of these past days, I have met with and spoken to our country's National Security and Defence leadership. They have made their considered recommendations, and, through exhaustive consultations, I have given them my directives. I have also been in constant communication with representatives of relevant allies, partners, and friends in the international community."

"They have offered to help us on what the Philippines requires to protect and secure our Sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-pacific. I have given them our requirements and we have been assured that they will be addressed," he said.

Marcos announced that in the coming weeks, the Philippine government will implement a comprehensive response and countermeasure package, orchestrated by relevant national agencies and instrumentalities.

The measures are designed to be proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable.

"Over the succeeding weeks, there shall be, implemented by the relevant national government agencies and instrumentalities, a response and countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks by agents of the China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia," he said.

While emphasising a desire to avoid conflict, President Marcos asserted that the Philippines will not be intimidated into silence or submission.

"We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience," he said.

This week, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, who was on an official visit to the Philippines, called on President Marcos and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings to the President.

During the meeting, both leaders exchanged views on global, regional, and multilateral issues, including Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, West Asia, and global and regional issues.

The tensions in South China sea escalated after Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement said that Manila conveyed its "strong protest against the aggressive actions" undertaken by China's Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militias against the Philippine mission near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

The department said it has also instructed its mission in Beijing to lodge a formal complaint over the incident.

The move comes a day after Philippines' National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said the confrontation that injured three Filipino soldiers caused severe damage to the Unaizah May 4 vessel.