By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Maintaining that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will continue to expose China’s aggression, PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela on Wednesday (07 Feb 2024) emphasized their transparency efforts to raise public awareness of China’s “illegal actions” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
At the same time, the PCG official called on other smaller countries to be united and rally like-minded states to challenge acts that defy international law and disrupt the international ruling.
“Simply condemning China’s aggressive behavior through public statements may not be enough to hold Beijing fully accountable. The international community must explore alternative measures to compel China to adhere to international law, going beyond just imposing reputational cost,” Tarriela said in a forum held in San Juan City.
He pointed out that the world community must seek alternative measures to compel China to abide by international law amid its continuing aggression in the WPS.
“Without tangible consequences, China may continue its aggressive actions in the region and our transparency initiative may be perceived as an endless stream of complaints against China,” Tarriela quipped.
He added: “Without such exposure, smaller nations like the Philippines, will continue to be targets of bullying by more powerful and larger countries like China.”
The PCG spokesperson also stressed the importance of exposing the excesses of bigger countries.
“If we do not expose their illegal actions, countries like China and Russia will become increasingly emboldened to bully smaller nations knowing that they will face no consequences or accountability. Their unlawful actions will go unpunished if like-minded states that support the international rules-based order remain unaware,” Tarriela concluded.
(el Amigo/MNM)
