The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) requires more vessels to match China’s military power, following another harassment incident involving the China Coast Guard (CCG).
Political analyst Atty. Michael Henry Yusingco emphasized the need for at least 1,000 additional ships to bolster the PCG’s growing personnel and maritime capabilities.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently increased the PCG’s budget for personnel expansion and modernization efforts.
Yusingco reiterated that the country’s red line in the West Philippine Sea is based on the 2016 Arbitral Ruling and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Public sentiment remains resolute in defending Philippine sovereignty and asserting fishing rights in the disputed waters.
On Wednesday, the CCG used water cannons twice and blocked the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a BFAR vessel, during a routine maritime patrol near Bajo de Masinloc to assist Filipino fishermen.
The incident underscores the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea and the urgency for enhanced maritime defense.