6-5-2024 (MANILA) In a bid to defuse escalating tensions in the strategic South China Sea, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared that his country will refrain from using water cannons or any offensive weapons in the contested waters. This stance underscores the nation’s commitment to avoiding further provocation and seeking a peaceful resolution to the long-standing territorial dispute.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Marcos emphasized the Philippines’ reluctance to heighten tensions in the region. “The last thing the Philippines wants to do is to raise tensions in the strategic waterway,” he stated firmly. “We will not follow the Chinese coast guard and Chinese vessels down that road.”
Marcos’ remarks come in the wake of Manila’s protest against Beijing’s use of water cannons against Filipino vessels near the disputed Whitsun Reef last week. The Philippines condemned the actions as harassment and “dangerous manoeuvres,” highlighting the rising tensions in recent months.
The South China Sea, a critical maritime trade route valued at over $3 trillion annually, has been a longstanding source of contention among several nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. China’s expansive claim of sovereignty over much of the region has been a bone of contention, with an international tribunal in 2016 ruling that Beijing’s claim had no legal basis – a decision that China has rejected.
Marcos underscored the Philippine navy and coast guard’s mission to lower tensions in the region, stating unequivocally that there are no plans to install water cannons on vessels. “The mission of the Philippine navy and coast guard is to lower tensions, and there are no plans to install water cannons on vessels,” he affirmed.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Marcos’ statements.
The Philippines’ restrained approach reflects a broader strategy of diplomatic engagement and conflict avoidance, even as it upholds its territorial claims in the South China Sea. Marcos’ remarks suggest a desire to explore peaceful means of resolving the dispute, rather than escalating tensions through provocative actions or military posturing.
