Marcos calls command conference on West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos convened yesterday his security and defense officials for a command conference at Malacañang where they discussed the disruption by the Chinese of a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre, wherein one of its ships slightly hit a Philippine Coast Guard vessel during a “dangerous and provocative” maneuver.

At the command conference, Marcos was reported to have expressed very serious concern about the incident last Sunday, as he ordered a swift probe while the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lodged a diplomatic protest and summoned Beijing’s ambassador.

“The Philippine government views the latest aggression by China as a blatant violation of international law. China has no legal right or authority to conduct law enforcement operations in our territorial waters. We are taking this incident seriously at the highest level of government,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said at a press conference at the Palace after the command conference.

With Teodoro at the Palace press conference were Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. and PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan.

“The President is taking this very, very seriously. The highest levels of government are giving serious weight to this incident, given the false narrative of China, given the more incredulous and aggressive behavior they display and given that we cannot tolerate this kind of action,” Teodoro said.

“But we are here to really decry in the strongest possible terms this egregious violation and illegal act within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and the obfuscation of the truth by China’s distorting the story to fit its own ends and the duplicity in claiming to be peaceful and friendly while resorting to these aggressive acts,” he said.

In a post on X, PCG-West Philippine Sea spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said their statement on Sunday’s incident was truthful and backed up by proof.

“We do not respond to lies, we only comment on facts. Our narrative is always backed up with compelling images and unedited videos,” he said.

“Additionally, we always adhere to international laws, as we believe in upholding ethical standards in all our