China's unlawful actions in the country's waters, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), are compelling the Philippines to assert its rights and take steps to defend itself.
In an interview with Hoover Institution's "Battlegrounds," Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stated that China is forcibly stealing the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, where the country has the sole right to explore and exploit resources.
He further emphasized that China is carrying out these actions not just through words, but through force.
The situation arose after China enacted a maritime law that asserts nearly the entire South China Sea (SCS) as its internal waters.
“So they have themselves to blame. If we are choosing the side of the right, the correct, not the physical right, but the correct side, the correct path, to use their words, take the right path and correct route," said Teodoro.
Furthermore, Teodoro stated that China is working to isolate the Philippines by manipulating narratives, destabilizing the country's economy, and exerting influence to prevent other nations from supporting the Philippines.
He added that this effort reportedly involves China telling the world that the 2016 Arbitral Award is nothing more than "a scrap of paper."
The Philippine government has consistently asserted that all its operations in the WPS are lawful and in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Prior to the DND Chief's statement, China once again urged the Philippines to remove the U.S. Typhoon missile launcher, which had been moved to an undisclosed location in the country.
In a recent report, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) revealed another incident of harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) during a marine scientific survey and sand sampling mission on January 24.
