President Ferdinand “Bongbong“ Marcos Jr. rejected proposals to install water cannons in Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as the Philippines will continue to observe diplomacy in defending its sovereign rights.
On April 30, 2024, two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels fired their water cannons on jet-stream pressure at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels Bagacay and Bankaw. One Chinese vessel, nearly 100 meters in length, also rammed into Bankaw, at a mere 30 meters long.
Marcos was asked in an ambush interview whether he would sanction the water cannon proposals, to which he responded that the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard's mission was to lower tensions in the WPS.
“The last thing we would like is to raise the tensions in the West Philippine Sea … and that [retaliating with water cannons] would certainly do that, so hindi natin gagawin [so we won't]. We will not follow the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese vessels down that road because it is not the mission of Navy, our Coast Guard to start, or to increase tensions. Their mission is precisely the opposite, it’s to lower tensions,“ Marcos said.
Marcos was adamant that the Philippines would defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights without resorting to aggression.
“What we are doing is defending our sovereign rights and our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive,” Marcos told reporters.
The Philippines' course of action in the event of a water cannon attack would be to send a diplomatic letter to China and other stakeholders.
