China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will be a key factor in the 2025 elections, particularly for senators and congressmen, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard said Wednesday at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.
Noting surveys that indicate eight of ten Filipinos are unlikely to vote for pro-China candidates, he said, “The 2025 elections will serve as a litmus test for how the Filipino people view their candidates. They need to carefully evaluate those running, especially those they will vote for in the Senate and Congress.”
Tarriela explained that both Houses of Congress are responsible for providing operational funds for activities in the WPS. They also have the power to increase the budget of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and modernize the military.
“We know that senators and congressmen fund operations in the West Philippine Sea. What if they fail to respond to President Marcos’s call to stand by the issue of the West Philippine Sea?” he added.
Tarriela called on the general public to vote wisely. He said the issue of the West Philippine Sea is “intergenerational.”
“It is our collective obligation to hold the line and counter China’s argument that we cannot do anything about the issue,” he said.
“If we don’t hold the line, it’s as if we’re surrendering the future of the Filipino youth. We must keep fighting for our sovereignty. We owe it to our forefathers who laid down their lives to create one territory, one nation,” he added.
The Coast Guard official also noted that pro-China trolls dominate social media with the intent of muddling the issue and silencing truth bearers, such as the Philippine media.
These pro-China trolls also attempt to discredit the Philippine victory in the 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling, which declared China’s nine-dash line claim invalid.
In a related development, Tarriela reported that a Chinese research vessel was recently spotted passing through Philippine archipelagic waters, 58 nautical miles (approximately 107 kilometers) east of Palawan—well within Philippine territory. This distance is comparable to the roundtrip distance from Makati to Tagaytay.
As of 8 a.m., the vessel, named Song Hang, has been advised to leave the area but has not yet responded.
Tarriela said that he could not provide further details, as the operation is ongoing.
