Clear directive: AFP ready to defend PH rights in WPS

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday said the President’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) provided clear direction for the military, particularly in defending the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the “clear and unequivocal message” of Marcos reinforces the military’s mission to protect the country’s maritime interests and uphold the rule of law.

“Foremost, the President has set the direction. The Armed Forces of the Philippines stands ready to carry out this direction from the President with courage, with honor, and unwavering commitment to the Constitution and to every Filipino,” Padilla said at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

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Final and binding

In his fifth Sona before a joint session of Congress on Monday, Marcos said the Philippines faces growing threats to its dignity and sovereignty but vowed that the country “will not yield.”

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, calling it a “final and binding” interpretation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that the Philippines would continue to uphold through peaceful and legal means.

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The state address came a week after China Coast Guard personnel left two Filipino Navy servicemen injured in a violent confrontation near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and on the heels of the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in a China Daily video. Manila protested both acts.

Padilla said the AFP welcomed Marcos’ reaffirmation that the Philippines “will not yield” to external pressure and his commitment to the landmark 2016 arbitral award that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

According to her, the Sona also recognized the sacrifices of Filipino troops deployed in the West Philippine Sea, as well as Philippine Coast Guard personnel and Filipino fishermen who continue to operate in the waters.

“For the AFP, these are more than policy statements. They reinforce our mission that we carry out every day,” she said. /cb