AFP to China: Philippines is no one’s pawn
Credit to Author: Michael Punongbayan| Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) lashed back at China yesterday following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent statements that the Philippines’ actions in the South China Sea are mere theater in coordination with other countries.
“From the side of the AFP, the Philippines is no one’s pawn. We are a sovereign nation, making sovereign decisions,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.
“The AFP stands firm in defending our territory guided by our national interests, and foreign influence partnerships strengthen our defense. So, our resolve is ours alone. Nobody else can dictate what we do,” she added.
Padilla issued the statement after reporting in press briefing that the AFP has successfully monitored 11,287 vessels moving in and out and around the archipelago last month “highlighting the Philippine Navy’s commitment to maritime security within the nation’s exclusive economic zone.”
According to her, the Philippine Navy tracked 2,032 local or domestic vessels and 9,255 foreign vessels as part of the AFP’s Maritime Domain Awareness Strategy to enhance external defense and safeguard maritime territories from Feb. 1 to 28.
Of these vessels, Padilla said nine People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and two China Coast Guard vessels were sighted in the vicinity of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
Another seven PLAN and one CCG vessel were sighted in the area of Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal during the same period with none seen in the vicinities of Sabina or Escoda Shoal.
Padilla declared that “the AFP remains dedicated to addressing current challenges and anticipating future threats, ensuring regional stability, and defending Philippine maritime interests.”
Meanwhile, Philippine Navy public affairs office chief Commander John Percie Alcos reported that the Philippine Fleet successfully carried out its first simultaneous unilateral and gunnery exercises for the year in the West Philippine Sea on Monday.
“Overcoming rough seas and enhancing the operational readiness of its naval force, the fleet’s guided missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal FF150 and offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz PS-16, together with the fleet’s pioneering landing dock LD-601 or BRP Tarlac, participated in unilateral exercises performing a series of maneuvers and radio communication drills, while PS-16 and FF150 carried out live-fire drills southeast of Bajo de Masinloc,” he announced.