South China Sea: Philippine lawmakers back proposal to boost funding for security forces

“Recognising the rising security threats in the West Philippine Sea and the need to secure top officials, these agencies are better positioned to counteract security threats, protect our territorial waters, and secure the rights and access of Filipino fishermen to traditional fishing grounds,” it said.

The West Philippine Sea is the term used by Manila to describe the eastern parts of the South China Sea that are within its EEZ and territorial waters.

‘I just laughed at them’: the Filipino fishermen facing off against China

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the upper chamber also intends to “do the same” and earmark extra funds to the intelligence agencies, ABS-CBN reported.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, intelligence funds are those “related to intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel and intelligence practitioners” having direct impact on national security.

While the bureau defines confidential funds as those “linked to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency”.

The government was seeking 10.14 billion pesos (US$178 million) in confidential and intelligence funds for 2024, with the coastguard expected to get only 10 million pesos, a sum that has not gone up in the last 14 years.

The force also requested the Marcos Jnr administration to allot 90 billion pesos to buy 30 ships to strengthen its efforts to patrol the South China Sea.

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Philippine coastguard removes Chinese barrier at disputed Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

Philippine coastguard removes Chinese barrier at disputed Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

As the maritime row in the hotly-contested waterway rumbles on, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro rebuked China for asking the Philippines to stop fomenting trouble in Scarborough Shoal, which the Asian giant calls Huangyan Island.

“We are not the ones stirring up trouble since we were not the ones who occupied the area. That’s what they don’t understand,” Teodoro said.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday said the country “firmly upholds the sovereignty and maritime rights of Huangyan Island, and we advise the Philippines side not to provoke and cause trouble”.

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo struck a conciliatory tone on the issue, saying Manila seeks to “peacefully manage” its discord with Beijing.

“We have made that very clear. Our aim is to manage our disputes peacefully and through international law,” Manalo said, adding the relationship with China was “complex and big”.

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But coastguard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela warned the force would not give in to China if it again attempts to place the barrier in the lagoon teeming with fish.

“We have shown the world the Filipino people will not back down and we’re still going to consistently carry out whatever is necessary for us to maintain our presence,” Tarriela said.

Meanwhile, the navies of the Philippines, the US, France and Australia will hold a 12-day drill from October 2 in southern Luzon province to “enhance international defence cooperation and advance a rules-based international order”.