Manila, June 17: Slamming China for its “reckless behaviour” in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines on Monday said that its armed forces will go all out to protect the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“China’s dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Their behaviour contravenes their statements of good faith and decency. We will exert our utmost to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights,” said Gilberto Teodoro, Secretary of the Philippines’ Department of National Defence (DND).
“It should now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he added.
The Southeast Asian nation has been raising its deep concerns for a long time now over China’s strategic expansion into the South China Sea.
Last week, during a reception held on the Swedish National Day, Teodoro asserted that tensions in the region “emanate solely” from the “so-called ten-dash illegally claimed” by China as their territory.
“China wants us to go to the small details to forget the main message. The main message is: The ten-dash-line is the provocation. And everything flows from that,” the Defence Secretary told reporters at the sidelines of the event.
“They have no business being anywhere in the West Philippine Sea and other areas where we have jurisdiction. They are trying to bait us by straying from the main points and dragging us into an action-drama debate, where we focus on minor details which stray us from the main message. Let’s stick to the message,” he said.
–IANS