The 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 (𝐏𝐂𝐆) clarified that it is 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 in any 𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 on a 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, including rumored joint patrols in in the West Philippine Sea.
According to 𝐏𝐂𝐆 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 on the WPS, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐚, the 𝐏𝐂𝐆 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, despite statements 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
RADM TARRIELA adds that as far as the PCG is concerned, “𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐬.”
While the proposed deal focuses on non-sensitive areas like environmental protection and search-and-rescue, it comes amid years of tension between the PCG and the China Coast Guard, including repeated confrontations involving water cannons, collisions, and harassment of Filipino fishermen.
