Senator Risa Hontiveros has cited the need to expand funding for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) amid the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS),
Hontiveros said the Senate must strengthen the PCG by providing it with greater funding for intelligence operations and maritime patrols in order to help the agency better perform its mandate amid rising tensions in the WPS,
During her privilege speech on her proposed Senate Resolution No. 744 calling on senators to empower the PCG and uphold national sovereignty, Hontiveros congratulated the PCG personnel for successfully carrying out on August 22 a rotation and resupply mission for the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal She hopes that the entire Senate can also stand firmly behind the PCG,
In the budget process, Hontiveros said she encourages all sectors to support the increase of the PCG’s funds.
“If we could further strengthen the men and women of our Coast Guard, arm them with advanced equipment – such as radar stations, automatic identification systems (AIS) hardware and others – we can more effectively hold China accountable for her hostile, aggressive, and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea,” Hontiveros said,
The senator pointed out that despite the PCG facing “a clear and present danger” brought about by China’s increasing hostilities in the region, funding for PCG operations remains limited. Since 2009, the agency has only been receiving “a measly” P10 million in intelligence funds annually, forcing the agency to rely solely on human intelligence (HUMINT) to get up-to-date information,
In contrast, Hontiveros said, PCG personnel and vessels performing missions in Philippine territory have been increasingly targeted by “China’s cruelty at sea” over the last two years. These incidents, Hontiveros said, include the firing of water cannons on Philippine ships during a resupply mission for personnel in the BRP Sierra Madre last August 5, and during a similar incident last November 2021,
According to Hontiveros, the Chinese Coast Guard, in another incident in August 2022, removed the cover of a 70-mm naval gun aboard their ship and pointed it towards a PCG vessel traveling to Ayungin Shoal,
Later, in February 2023, China deployed a military-grade laser towards a PCG ship, temporarily blinding the Filipino crew on board,
Given the immense importance of the PCG’s missions and the challenges the agency faces, Hontiveros said, it is unacceptable that the PCG is receiving intelligence funds far less than those being received by civilian agencies with no direct relation to national security and protection of Philippine territory,
“I also must stress that the 10 million pesos for intelligence funds is not only for the PCG’s duties over the West Philippine Sea, but for the entire coastal areas and waters of the Philippines,
Hontiveros added that the Senate should assist the public information efforts of the PCG over Filipinos’ lawful claims in the WPS, which are being hampered by a deluge of “orchestrated, pro- Beijing misinformation and propaganda.” “I believe we can shore up even more support for our Philippine Coast Guard, whether on the ground or on social media, so we can seriously defend the Sierra Madre, Ayungin, and the rest of our territories. “