Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
President Marcos vowed to protect Filipinos amid China’s recent policy to detain those who will trespass into the South China Sea, saying such a policy is unacceptable.
Marcos said this after the Chinese government ordered its Coast Guard to detain foreigners for up to 30 days if they violate China’s exit-entry rules.
In an interview in Makati City, the President said that China’s recent order was unacceptable.
“That kind of action would be completely unacceptable to the Philippines,” he said on Saturday evening, May 18.
While he did not divulge further details, Marcos said that the government will do everything to protect its people amid increasing tensions in the disputed waters.
“I do not talk about the operational details so we will leave it to us. But the position we take is that is unacceptable,” he said.
“We will take whatever measures to always protect our citizens,” he added.
Reports said that the China Coast Guard (CCG) has authorized the detention of foreign nationals trespassing into the waters under Beijing’s jurisdiction, including those overlapping with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), for 30 to 60 days without trial.
The new policy will reportedly take effect in June.
PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela China’s order is illegal as it cannot implement its domestic laws within the Philippines’ territory. — Argyll Cyrus Geducos
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
