REAR Admiral Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), on Saturday said the government’s transparency efforts remain crucial in exposing China’s activities in Bajo de Masinloc and in deterring further escalation in the shoal.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Tarriela said public disclosure is a necessary step after Philippine authorities confirmed a Chinese floating structure in Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, amid concerns that Beijing may be testing whether it can establish a more permanent presence in the area.
Earlier, the Philippines had urged China to remove the floating structure and warned that it would not allow the shoal to be turned into a man-made island. The Philippines also formally protested the structure, citing fears that China could follow the same playbook it used in other South China Sea features.
Tarriela said exposing the development is meant to stop China from carrying out whatever plans it may have for Bajo de Masinloc.
“So ito ang alalahan ay isang napakahalagang hakbang to deter China from realizing kung anuman ang plano nila sa Bajo de Masinloc,” Tarriela said.
He said the timing matters because the Philippines is at the center of regional diplomacy, including talks on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
“Una sa lahat, alam natin na tayo ang ASEAN host country ngayon,” Tarriela said.
The Code of Conduct has long been discussed as a framework between China and ASEAN claimant states to reduce the risk of incidents in the South China Sea. For Tarriela, the presence of the structure in Bajo de Masinloc should be treated not only as a maritime issue, but also as a reputational problem for China as talks continue.
“We are hoping that this kind of reputational damage will make China think twice para gumawa ng ganito,” Tarriela said.
He said transparency is also meant to bring the issue to the attention of the international community.
“Secondly, we also intend to make the international community aware of what’s happening in Bajo de Masinloc” Tarriela said.
For the government, the transparency campaign has become a key tool in the West Philippine Sea. It allows the public, media, allies, and partners to see developments on the water rather than leaving incidents to closed diplomatic channels. It also builds pressure by showing evidence of China’s conduct in areas where the Philippines has sovereign rights and long-standing interests.
Tarriela said the goal is to stop such actions and return the issue to serious dialogue.
“Para tigilan ang mga ganitong gawain at bumalik ulit sa isang negotiating table para pag-usapan natin ito nang mas makakaya pa,” Tarriela said.
RAdm. Rommel Ong, PN (Ret), Professor of Praxis at the Ateneo School of Government, also raised the need for calibrated Philippine action to show that Manila has set a line against further escalation.
Ong said one possible approach would be to show a Philippine presence along the route between Hainan and Bajo de Masinloc, where logistical support for Chinese activities could come from.
Tarriela said the NTF-WPS transparency effort will remain important for exposing China’s actions to the world and preventing them from becoming normalized.
“So through transparency effort of the NTFWPS, naniniwala tayo ng kahalagahan ito to expose such unlawful activities to the world,” Tarriela stressed.
