By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said on Saturday (17 Feb 2024) that President Ferdinand Marcos “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered them to maintain the country’s presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid China’s continued presence in Philippine waters.
“We know for a fact na ang ‘Bajo de Masinloc’ is a traditional fishing ground for the Filipinos particularly ang ating mga kababayan sa Zambales, sa Pangasinan at in different parts dito sa coastal area ng Northern Luzon,” Tarriela said.
“Dahil dito, it is now the guidance of our President to have a rational deployment between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to maintain our presence in Bajo de Masinloc,” he added.
Tarriela explained the PCG has maintained its presence in Philippine waters from February 1 to 9 while the Bureau of Aquatic Resources (BFAR) deployed its personnel after their shift in conducting the rotational deployment.
“So dinikitan siya at from then on, hindi na siya binitawan. The entire presence ng BFAR vessel dito it was consistently shadowed by the Chinese Coast Guard vessel particularly this one – China Coast Guard 3105,” he added.
(el Amigo/MNM)
