00:00The Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP, conducted various exercises, activities in the designated exercise zone in the West Philippine Sea.
00:10Meanwhile, aside from Senate clashing over issues about the West Philippine Sea, heated exchange also erupted in the House of Representatives.
00:17Patrick DeSuz has the full report.
00:19The Armed Forces of the Philippines has pushed back against China's criticism regarding the Philippines' designation of a large-scale exercise zone in the waters and airspace of the West Philippine Sea together with the United States and other partner nations, which includes Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinlok.
00:41These activities begun on January 21 and will run until March 31, for which a notice to airmen and all mariners, or NOTAM, has already been issued.
00:53The first major activity conducted was the maritime cooperative activity between the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the AFP last week, participated in by ships and aircraft from both countries.
01:06According to the AFP, the exercises being conducted by the country within our exclusive economic zone are not meant to provoke conflict.
01:16Areas that we have sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, it covers, it includes Bajo de Masinlok.
01:26It is more than 600 nautical miles from mainland China.
01:30No provision of international law supports their claim or their accusation.
01:37On the other hand, many more such activities and notices will be issued in the coming months.
01:45The AFP also reiterated that there is evidence identifying who is actually causing trouble and interference in the waters.
01:54Historically, the Philippines has been on the receiving end of coercive and aggressive actions.
02:00We have not claimed what is not ours. Numbers do not lie. People do.
02:06Each time we have an activity, we issue notices either to airmen or mariners.
02:11The other side is just making a big deal out of it.
02:14Based on monitoring by the Philippine Navy during the last week of January,
02:18a total of 48 PLA Navy and China Coast Guard vessels were monitored,
02:23with the highest number, more than 20, located in Bajo de Masinlok.
02:28Meanwhile, it is not only lawmakers in the Senate who are clashing over the West Philippine Sea issue.
02:36In the House of Representatives, a heated exchange erupted between Minority Floor Leader
02:41and Four-Peace Party List Representative Marcelino Libanan
02:45and Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez.
02:50In a privileged speech, Libanan pointed out that government officials should remain professional
02:56in issuing public statements, later identifying PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea,
03:03Commodore J. Tariela, following the Chinese embassy's protest
03:07over a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
03:11Rodriguez did not take kindly to the statement of his fellow lawmaker,
03:17which he said appeared to be in defense of China.
03:20I am insulted that a member of this Congress will stand up in favor of China.
03:27Madam Speaker, J. Tariela is doing his job as spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard
03:35because the very reason why this spokesman has to move and act
03:42is because China has been violating the sovereign rights of the Filipino people,
03:50the Republic of the Philippines.
03:52For so many years, I cannot understand why we are protecting China,
03:58who has been the cause of all this aggression.
04:02I am not defending China, Madam Speaker.
04:06As I said in my speech, what I am saying is that we have to act with professionalism,
04:17discipline, and manage our international relations properly, Madam Speaker.
04:24Rodriguez also warned that he would file an ethics complaint against Libanan.
04:29As for the AFP, they said the scope of the West Philippine Sea is clear,
04:35as is their duty to protect it.
04:37The coordinates could be plotted out.
04:40Anybody will understand na ito ay maliwanag na sa atin
04:44200 nautical miles, 24 nautical miles, 12 nautical miles from our baselines.
04:51Amid the noisy environment,
04:54your AFP will keep performing its mandate with our heads held high.
04:58Patrick De Jesus from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
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