MANILA, Philippines – Inalis ni Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. ang pangangailangan na magkaroon ng isang armed attack kasunod ng pambabangga na naman ng barko ng China sa barko ng Pilipinas malapit sa Escoda Shoal sa West Philippine Sea.
Ani Teodoro, dapat ay magmukhang malakas ang Pilipinas para labanan ang mga aksyon ng China.
“Let us deter an armed attack. That is the more important thing, that is what I am focused on doing, everybody is too focused on armed attack. Let’s make ourselves strong enough so that that does not happen,” pahayag ni Teodoro.
Aniya, asahan na ang mga ganitong hakbang ng China sa Pilipinas dahil unang-una ay hindi naman kinikilala ng Beijing ang territorial rights ng Manila sa rehiyon.
“We have to expect these kinds of behavior from China because this is a struggle, we have to be ready to anticipate and to get used to these kinds of acts of China which are… paulit-ulit na nating sinasabing illegal pero wala silang pakialam [we’ve been saying those are illegal but they don’t seem to care],” sinabi pa ni Teodoro.
Nitong Linggo, binangga ng mga barko ng China Coast Guard at ginamitan pa ng water cannon ang BRP Datu Sanday ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources malapit sa Escoda Shoal.
Dagdag pa, nakitang sinusundan ng dalawang barko ng CCG ang BRP Datu Sanday.
Isa pang barko ng CCG ang gumamit ng water cannon sa BRP Datu Sanday.
“Of course taking orders from the commander-in-chief, the President and still the order of the President… which is not to give up a square inch even a square centimeter of our territory… ‘yun po ‘yung aming standing order na galing sa ating Pangulo [that’s been the standing order from the President],” pahayag ni Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.
Ani Brawner, patuloy na ipakikita ng pwersa ng Pilipinas ang presensya nito sa rehiyon. RNT/JGC
