Geline Salac

Tarriela to Cayetano: Up to you if you believe PRC talking points filled with falsehoods

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<p>A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson challenged Friday Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s statement that Philippine officials are not being fully truthful about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>Cayetano earlier said Vietnam does not issue radio challenges or use water cannon on the Philippine Coast Guard because Philippine vessels or aircraft do not go near islands occupied by Hanoi.</p><p>“Iniiwasan natin ‘yung sa Malaysia’t Vietnam. This is my point, Mr. President. We are not being totally truthful to the Filipino people of what’s happening sa West Philippine Sea, South China Sea,” he said in a Senate hearing.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2022062840673439800&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-02-12T23%3A22%3A10.165122%3Acd95c328-dc5f-4202-b7d2-a294fb105635%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=9ee5b2b746e631a2d9674c2cf20705ebc07a3761&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:873px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2022062840673439800"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>In response, PCG spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said PCG vessels “never approach any of China’s illegally reclaimed and occupied maritime features across the West Philippine Sea, unless the honorable senator believes that Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda Shoal, Ayungin Shoal, and Pag-asa Island are rightfully Chinese territory.”</p><p>Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda Shoal and Ayungin Shoal are all within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone while Pag-Asa Island is the administrative center of Kalayaan municipality in Palawan province.</p><p>Tarriela noted Chinese vessels constantly engage in harassment and dangerous maneuvers close to Philippine occupied features and waters.</p><p>Just last week, a People’s Liberation Army Navy warship challenged a maritime domain awareness flight 48 nautical miles off the coast of Agno, Pangasinan, well within the country’s EEZ.</p><p>“It is up to the honorable senator whether he chooses to believe PRC talking points filled with falsehoods or the Philippine Coast Guard personnel and independent journalists who present clear and incontrovertible evidence—photos, videos, and verifiable records,” he said.</p><p>Tarriela said the PCG do not go near features occupied by Vietnam and Malaysia especially Panganiban Reef and Zamora Reef because it would be irresponsible “neither grounded in the 2002 ASEAN-China DOC nor aligned with Philippine interests.”</p><p>“Likewise, the Vietnamese and the Malaysians accord us the same treatment. The PRC is the only party to the South China Sea dispute not respecting the provisions of the DOC, and of the UNCLOS. The honorable senator’s statement simply muddles the issue, which whether intentional or not, makes China very happy as our political leaders doubt our own rights and actions. I cannot understand why it is so difficult for the senator to clearly and unambiguously call out PRC aggression,” he said.</p><p>Cayetano and Sen. Francis Pangilinan earlier clashed during the interpellation of  Proposed Senate Resolution 256, with Cayetano saying Tarriela should apologize for using a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping. </p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tg8X3frtq4g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Tarriela, however, questioned why he was the one being subjected to criticism by Cayetano instead of China who has repeatedly harassed Filipino fishermen and the PCG.</p><p>&quot;Ang tanong ko dito, &#x27;yun ba talagang caricature na &#x27;yun is more than enough para magalit sa akin si Sen. Cayetano at hindi siya magalit sa ginagawang violation ng China everytime na bina-violate ang ating sovereign rights? Everytime na wino-water cannon ang mangingisdang Pilipino,&quot; Tarriela said in an interview with DZMM TeleRadyo&#x27;s Isyu Spotted.</p><p>&quot;My question to him is when was the last time he issued a statement to condemn the aggressive actions of China? &#x27;Yung pagkagigil niya sa akin naibato ba niya &#x27;yan sa China everytime na hina-harass tayo?&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbWdLtHLksQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V5APC6527RQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson challenged Friday Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s statement that Philippine officials are not being fully truthful about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.</p>

A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson challenged Friday Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s statement that Philippine officials are not being fully truthful about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.