Sen. Tolentino: Joint maritime patrol boosts PHL stability, deters China

Senator Francis Tolentino believes that the Philippines' joint maritime patrol with Australia, Japan, and the United States in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including the West Philippine Sea (WPS), enhances regional stability and deters China's maritime bullying.

Tolentino emphasized that the Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) signifies a commitment to mutual defense and security cooperation, strengthening diplomatic ties with like-minded defense allies adhering to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He expressed a desire for these joint patrols to become a regular occurrence, not just isolated exercises, to further promote regional security and cooperation.

The joint patrol on April 7 involved five ships: the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz from the Philippines; the USS Mobile from the US; the HMAS Warramunga from Australia; and the Japanese destroyer Akebono.

Tolentino views China's presence and actions during the patrol as an attempt to show their citizens they are not afraid to respond to such cooperative security activities.