Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐚, underscored the 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 and nationalism on the West Philippine Sea.
During the 𝐋𝐆𝐔 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 in Manila, RADM Tarriela said that 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐮𝐳𝐨𝐧, 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚 and recognize it as a national, rather than a political, concern.
“𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐨,” 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐌 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐚 said, emphasizing that the 𝐖𝐏𝐒 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. He noted that centuries from now, political loyalties may no longer matter, but the 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧.
