NMC: Philippines to continue non-confrontational tack in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippines will continue its “non-confrontational” approach in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the National Maritime Council (NMC) said on Wednesday as hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted within the country’s waters.

In an interview with dzBB, NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez said the government is monitoring the Chinese vessels and this would be included in the report being prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for another protest against Beijing.

Asked whether the government has plans of driving away the Chinese vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Lopez said: “We don’t want (confrontations) because that will escalate (tensions).”

He said upholding the jurisdiction and sovereign rights of the Philippines in the WPS need not be physical. “As much as possible we maintain the status quo, meaning whatever the level of tension is, let it be that way, let’s not escalate it,” he said.

There are a lot of ways to assert the country’s rights over the area, including filing an environmental complaint against China before the United Nations, Lopez said. “We’re coming up with other approaches, not physical, not confrontational but rather more on environmental degradation and things like that,” he said.

“It’s not only our government, we are also working with some UN organizations. That (environmental degradation) will be a stronger (case against China),” he said, adding the Philippines’ allies are also backing this approach as they do not want any conflict in the region.

The number of Chinese vessels spotted in the WPS has reached a new record high of 251, of which 153 are concentrated within the vicinity of Ayungin and Escoda (Sabina) Shoals, the Philippine Navy said.

From only seven monitored from Sept. 10 to 16, the Navy said there were 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy warships spotted inside the country’s EEZ during the last week. Eleven military vessels were seen in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 16 China Coast Guard boats and 55 maritime militia vessels.

The government would soon beef up its floating assets, particularly those used in patrolling the West Philippine Sea, as the Bureau of