NMC: Phl to continue non-confrontational tack in WPS

The Philippines will continue its "nonconfrontational" approach in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the National Maritime Council (NMC) said on Wednesday as hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted within the country's waters.

- HELEN FLORES

In an interview with dzBB, NMC spokesman Alexander Lopez said the government is monitoring the Chinese vessels and this would IDDIN be included in the report being prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for another protest against Beijing.

Asked whether the government has plans of driving away the Chinese vessels within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Lopez said: "We don't want (confrontations) because that will escalate (tensions)."

He said upholding the jurisdiction and sovereign rights of the Philippines in the WPS need not be physical.

"As much as possible we maintain the status quo, meaning whatever the level of tension is, let it be that way, let's not escalate it," he said.

There are a lot of ways to assert the country's rights over the area, including filing an environmental complaint against China before the United Nations, Lopez said.