鈥楴OT POKING THE BEAR鈥� That鈥檚 how President Marcos, seen here with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders鈥� Meeting in November 2023, describes Manila鈥檚 approach to avoiding military conflict with the Asian giant over the West Philippine Sea issue. 鈥擬alaca帽ang file photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order geared at strengthening the country鈥檚 maritime security and domain awareness in light of China鈥檚 recent aggressive threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Executive Order No. 57, which Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin signed on March 25, was released to the media on Sunday.
It highlighted the need for maritime security and maritime domain awareness due to 鈥渟erious challenges that threaten the country鈥檚 territorial integrity and the peaceful existence of Filipinos.鈥�
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鈥淒espite efforts to promote stability and security in our maritime domain, the Philippines continues to confront a range of serious challenges that threaten not only the country鈥檚 territorial integrity but also the peaceful existence of Filipinos, including their fundamental right to live in peace and freedom, free from fear of violence and threat,鈥� Marcos said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office.
鈥淪trengthening the country鈥檚 maritime security and domain awareness is imperative to comprehensively tackle the crosscutting issues that impact the nation鈥檚 national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction over its extensive maritime zones,鈥� he added.
Under the executive order, the National Maritime Council (NMC) 鈥� formerly the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) 鈥� was designated to formulate policies and strategies for the country鈥檚 maritime security and domain awareness framework, among other functions.
Marcos also instructed NMC to craft and issue guidelines for implementing EO No. 57, which will take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
NMC will consist of heads of the following government agencies: the Department of National Defense, National Security Adviser, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Foreign Affairs.
The council also includes secretaries of the Department of Finance, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Transportation, the Solicitor General, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
Also attached to the NMC is the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), which was created through EO 94 (s. 2016) 鈥渢o orchestrate, synchronize and operationalize the employment of the capabilities of different agencies for a unified actions in the WPS.鈥�
Last March 23, China Coast Guard (CCG) again fired a water cannon at a Philippine vessel en route to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea for a rotation and resupply mission.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the supply vessel sustained 鈥渉eavy damage,鈥� while some military service members sustained injuries due to the continued high-power water blasting of the CCG.