Emboldened by the support of international allies and partners, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. finally ordered “countermeasures” against the aggression of China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia.
The chief executive, however, stressed the said initiatives will be “proportionate.”
“Over the succeeding weeks, there shall be implemented by the relevant national government agencies and instrumentalities a response and countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks by agents of the China Coast Guard (CCC) and the Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM),” Marcos said in a brief statement issued last Thursday.
“Filipinos do not yield,” he added.
The President said he made the decision after his exhaustive consultations with the country’s National Security and Defense leadership.
It also comes after his talks with “relevant allies, partners, and friends in the international community,” including the United States, which offered to provide Philippines support to secure its sovereign rights and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
“I have given them our requirements and we have been assured that they will be addressed,” Marcos said.
He made the pronouncement after CCC ships blasted a Philippine supply boat headed to Ayungin Shoal with a water cannon causing injuries to its crew.
The incident drew condemnation from many countries including the US, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Sweden.
Image credits: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP