Marcos rules out using water cannons in WPS

On Monday, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. reiterated that the Philippine government will not use water cannons to defend its territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), emphasizing restraint to avoid escalating tensions.

Marcos clarified during an interview on May 6 that he does not want to escalate tensions following recent Chinese Coast Guard harassments, including a water cannon attack on Philippine vessels last week at Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal.

University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea director Jay Batongbacal supported Marcos's stance in a radio interview on Tuesday, saying that a retaliatory move by the Philippines would only meet harsher responses from China.

Geopolitical expert Don Mclain Gill suggested that the Philippines should not completely rule out the use of water cannons or other non-lethal means for self-defense to avoid giving Beijing room to escalate its expansionism.

Security experts like Raymond Powell noted that while equipping Philippine Coast Guard vessels with water cannons is justified, the force imbalance would likely result in China's harsher retaliatory measures.