By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) - The Philippines has warned that it may deploy a warship to the disputed South China Sea, following accusations that Chinese naval vessels have been involved in "harassment" of Philippine vessels, an official said Sunday.
Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) West Philippine Sea Command, said sending a naval ship into the country’s territorial waters is a potential "policy option" being considered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
He said the decision ultimately rests with the president and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The South China Sea, or West Philippine Sea (WPS) as officially designated by the Philippine government, falls within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have intensified in recent months over the South China Sea, a region spanning 3.5 million square kilometers through which an estimated $11.3 billion in global trade passes annually, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Tarriela revealed that while the Philippine Navy monitors the situation in the WPS, it does not intervene when Chinese Coast Guard ships or maritime militia "harass Filipino fishermen, the PCG, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources."
The dispute underscores growing regional frictions over the strategic waterway, where China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping with the territorial waters of several countries, including the Philippines.
The dispute underscores growing regional frictions over the strategic waterway, where China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping with the territorial waters of several countries, including the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Manila has consistently accused Beijing of aggressive actions, including the use of its coast guard and maritime militia to intimidate Philippine vessels and fishermen.