Marcos vows to improve Coast Guard; PHL, Japanese delegates face better relations
By John Victor D. Ordoñez, A reporter
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday vowed to improve the assets of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) amid growing tensions with China.
In speech 123rd Commemorating the establishment of the coast guard in the port of Manila, he said his government will continue to upgrade the coast guard vehicles and equipment to increase awareness of the marine environment.
He also mentioned the development of necessary infrastructure for PCG. “This will increase your ability to respond to any surgery.”
Mr. Marcos said the transition of the PCG to a military base in 1998 from an American-made coast guard force “marked a mark.fiit will not change the way we approach maritime security and environmental protection.”
The Coast Guard is now in a better position to engage in broader cooperation with other nations, “opening doors to advanced technologies and critical resources that now strengthen your ability to serve with greater efficiency,” he added.
The PCG was under the Ministry of National Defense before it was transferred to the Offiof the President on March 30, 1998 by order issued by the late President Fidel V. Ramos.
Less than a month later, Mr. Ramos transferred the PCG to the Department of Transportation and Communications, which was split into two separate agencies in 2016 by a law signed by the late President Benigno SC Aquino III.
PCG has struggled with Chinese infiltration In the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in the South China Sea, Beijing claims almost all of it.
The coast guard launched a transparency campaign last year to expose Chinese attacks on its assets, a strategy that has helped Manila gain more support from the international community.
“In the face of tension, it is your decision to stay calm that prevents conflicts from turning into conflicts, showing the world that accepting dialogue and cooperation is the true basis of strength,” said Mr. Marcos.
Earlier, the Philippine Coast Guard said it expects the delivery of 10 ships from Japan and France amid Beijing’s ongoing efforts to block the redeployment of equipment to the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
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Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo and newly appointed Japanese Foreign Minister (FM) Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday spoke on the phone to discuss strengthening cooperation to ensure order based on international law in the region amid maritime disputes with China, according to the Japanese Embassy. in the Philippines.
“While expressing gratitude, he said he would like to promote Japan-Philippines cooperation and international cooperation including Japan-US-Philippines cooperation to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law,” the statement said. in the statement.
The delegates discussed regional and international issues during the phone call and vowed to work together to ease tensions in the East and South China Seas, where Japan and the Philippines have disputes with China.
Manila and Tokyo in July signed a mutual access agreement to ease the flow of equipment and troops for combat training from Japan.
The Philippines and Japan should look for more cooperation in technology transfer, joint production sharing and joint surveillance aimed at important areas of the South China Sea, Don McLain Gil, who teaches international relations at De La Salle University, in a Facebook Messenger interview. .
“These patrols must not only be routine but must be more effective,” he said. “We can achieve that with Japan, especially with a mutual access agreement that accelerates the process of military-to-military relations.”
Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero earlier told foreign journalists that they plan to finalize the military agreement before the end of the year.
The Philippines has a visiting forces agreement with the US and Australia. Tokyo, which hosts the majority of US troops abroad, has similar agreements with Australia and Britain, and is negotiating another with France.
China and the Philippines have been at odds over clashes near disputed areas in South China, with Manila accusing China’s security guard of aggression and Beijing angered by what it calls repeated provocations and territorial incursions.
The United Nations-backed High Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016 rejected China’s claim over the waterway as illegal. Beijing has ignored the decision.
About $3 billion worth of trade passes through the South China Sea every year, and it is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas, besides fish stocks.
Mr. Marcos said in his third speech to Congress that his government will continue to find ways to ease tensions in the disputed waters “without compromising our position and our principles.”
He urged Southeast Asian leaders and China at a regional summit in Laos this month to speed up talks on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
“These two ministers have confirmed that they will deepen cooperation in various fields, around 70th commemorating the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines in 2026,” the Japanese Ambassador said. – with KAT Atienza
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