Marcos said China warship deployment in WPS "worrisome"
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the deployment of Chinese warships in the West Philippine Sea is "worrisome".
"It’s worrisome because there are two elements to that: one is that, before only the Coast Guard moved in the area, now it's their Navy together with their fishing boat. So, the situation has changed," he said when asked his thoughts on the recent development in the West Philippine Sea.
Marcos said the Philippine government will continue to monitor the situation in the West Philippine Sea and continue to defend the territorial waters of the country.
"We just watch, of course, what everybody is doing, but really for us, we continue to, we just defend our maritime territory," he said.
The commander in chief also assures that despite the Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, the government will continue to help and support the Filipino fishermen in the area.
"We continue to support all of our fishermen, fisherfolks who make their living from these fishing grounds and we will continue to help them," he said.
"Despite whatever else happens, we are being blocked, shadowed, we will continue our mission there, because it is our job to help the fishers that have been fishing in the area for generations," he added.
Marcos noted that "the basic principle there, is that the fishers must be allowed to fish in their traditional fishing grounds, which belong in the maritime territory of the Philippines." Robina Asido/DMS
