Maritime bo open to leasing foreign ships for WPS

The National Maritime Council (NMC) is open to a proposal to lease ships from other countries to shore up the Philippines' presence in the West Philippine Sea as the country grapples with an increasingly aggressive China.

- ALEXIS ROMERO

Sen. Francis Tolentino has urged the government to consider acquiring additional vessels by leasing foreign ships to increase its presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the part of the South China Sea that is within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.

According to the senator, the option is less costly and faster and is already being practiced by superpowers like France and the United Kingdom.

NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez described Tolentino's proposal as a "good" suggestion.

"Actually, it's like a stopgap measure. So, while we do not have ours yet, it’s an area, it’s an option for us to lease,” Lopez said at a public briefing aired over staterun People’s Television.