Palace parries questions on Chinese vessels swarming PH waters

‘CONCERNS ON SECURITY’ File photo from 2021 shows Chinese vessels anchored around 320 kilometers west of Palawan. Manila continues to protest Beijing’s presence in the country’s exclusive economic zone. —AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang officials on Tuesday were tight-lipped in the face of worries about the alleged “swarming” of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), avoiding all questions from reporters.

During the briefing, neither Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil nor the new press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez answered the inquires.

Reporters continued to try and get a response from the Palace after the briefing but were unsuccessful.

Tuesday was Paez’s first day on the job as the official Malacañang press briefer, a position in which she would be responsible for disseminating information about the daily goings-on of the office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

She said it was her first day in the role.

The Department of National Defense earlier expressed “great concern” over the reported “swarming” of Chinese vessels at the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the WPS.

DND officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. has said the government continues routing maritime and aerial patrols in the WPS, and the information gathered in these patrols is submitted to authorities.

The Philippines received support from the United States amid the incident, with US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price saying that China’s actions reflect its “continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states lawfully operating in the region.”

JMS/abc