MANILA – Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela on Monday urged the Filipino electorate to support poll candidates who advocate the cause on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
This, after the release of a recent Pulse Asia Survey showed seven out of 10 Filipinos will not support political candidates with known leanings to China during the 2025 midterm elections.
“Voters now recognize that our fight in this area is not solely the responsibility of the current administration, but a collective endeavor for all citizens of the country, regardless of political affiliation or geographic location,” Tarriela said in a Facebook post.
He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año are the leaders who effectively conveyed the “long-term strategic” importance of the issue in protecting the WPS, citing the survey results.
“Let’s critically assess their (candidates) policy agendas to determine whether they truly care about this issue or are merely riding its wave of popularity,” Tarriela said.
He likewise discouraged the public from electing into office candidates who exploit the topic of WPS to attack their political rivals.
Following the Philippine government’s “assertive transparency” in the WPS, he said the initiative goes beyond showing online videos of Chinese harassment of Filipino troops, but rather to motivate the public to take action. (Heidi Lacambra, OJT/PNA)