24-8-2023 (MANILA) Sen. Risa Hontiveros has emphasized the urgent requirement for increased funding in intelligence operations of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) due to escalating hostilities from Chinese vessels, which pose significant threats to safety. In her privilege speech on Senate Resolution 744, a recently filed resolution aimed at strengthening the PCG and enhancing its role in safeguarding the country’s maritime zones, Hontiveros highlighted the need to allocate additional resources to the PCG’s intelligence funds. These discreet funds are crucial for gathering information necessary for effectively patrolling the West Philippine Sea.
Hontiveros appealed to her colleagues to support the augmentation of the PCG’s funds to equip them with advanced tools and equipment, including radar stations, automatic identification systems (AIS) hardware, and other essential resources. Such enhancements would enable the country to more effectively hold China accountable for its hostile, aggressive, and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The senator further underscored the pressing nature of the situation, emphasizing that despite the PCG facing a clear and present danger from Chinese presence in the tense waterways, funding for PCG operations remains limited. Since 2009, the PCG has received a mere P10 million in intelligence funds annually, which has forced the agency to rely solely on human intelligence for up-to-date information.
Hontiveros expressed her dismay at the stark disparity between the PCG’s intelligence funds and those allocated to civilian agencies with no direct involvement in national security and the protection of Philippine territory. She stressed that the current allocation of 10 million pesos for intelligence funds covers not only the PCG’s duties in the West Philippine Sea but also extends to the entire coastal areas and waters of the Philippines. Given the multitude of threats faced by the Coast Guard, Hontiveros asserted that a significantly larger allocation is necessary to adequately support their operations.
In addition, Hontiveros urged the Senate to assist the PCG in its public information efforts to assert the lawful claims of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea. These efforts have been impeded by a deluge of orchestrated misinformation and propaganda from pro-Beijing sources. She condemned the spreading of lies and online insults by China and their propagators, expressing disappointment that some fellow Filipinos are actively undermining the Coast Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and even the fishermen.
Hontiveros called for increased support for the Philippine Coast Guard, both on the ground and on social media, to mount a robust defense of vital areas such as the Sierra Madre, Ayungin, and other territories.
PCG Spokesperson Jay Tarriela affirmed this week that China is the sole claimant in the South China Sea region that has consistently engaged in dangerous acts against Filipinos at sea, even within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
