Quezon City: The country has adopted a ‘more assertive’ approach in countering aggressive Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as stated by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday. Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the WPS, emphasized this shift during a news forum in Quezon City, noting that the nation’s stance has become significantly stronger.

According to Philippines News Agency, Commodore Tarriela highlighted that since the commencement of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s administration, there has been a clear commitment to protecting national territory. “He has explicitly committed that this government will never surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power,” Tarriela stated, underscoring the administration’s firm position.

Under President Marcos’s leadership, the Philippines has strengthened its security alliances not only with the United States but also with other countries such as Australia and Japan, as well as the European Union. Tarriela noted that these alliances are in direct response to the continuous aggression exhibited by the Chinese government.

The PCG has been actively challenging the Chinese presence off the coast of Zambales, where Beijing has been deploying large vessels to illegally patrol the area. In a notable event, the PCG vessel BRP Cabra successfully pushed China’s newest Coast Guard deployment further away, to about 100 nautical miles from Zambales’ coastline, demonstrating the Philippines’ growing resolve in defending its maritime claims.