Sitwasyon sa West Philippine Sea – Ano ang plano ng pamahalaan? | The Mangahas Interviews
Naghain ng panibagong diplomatic protest ang Pilipinas laban sa China matapos ang insidente ng pambobomba ng water cannon ng Chinese Coast Guard sa barkong may dala ng supply para sa BRP Sierra Madre sa Ayungin Shoal.
Sa patuloy na harassment ng China sa West Philippine Sea, dapat daw palakasin ng pamahalaan ang alyansa ng Pilipinas sa ibang bansa. Ayon din sa National Security Council, patuloy raw nilang paiigtingin ang pagbabantay sa WPS at pagsulong sa karapatan ng mga mangingisda sa lugar.
Ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon sa WPS at ang plano ng pamahalaan sa sunud-sunod na pangha-harass ng Chinese Coast Guard, sasagutin ni NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
Sa patuloy na harassment ng China sa West Philippine Sea, dapat daw palakasin ng pamahalaan ang alyansa ng Pilipinas sa ibang bansa. Ayon din sa National Security Council, patuloy raw nilang paiigtingin ang pagbabantay sa WPS at pagsulong sa karapatan ng mga mangingisda sa lugar.
Ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon sa WPS at ang plano ng pamahalaan sa sunud-sunod na pangha-harass ng Chinese Coast Guard, sasagutin ni NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:05 Good afternoon to all of you here at Damanghas Interviews.
00:09 We will talk about the chaos and chaos in the West Philippine Sea.
00:14 We are honored to have with us today Undersecretary and Assistant Director General of the National Security Council,
00:22 Mr. Jonathan Malaya. Good afternoon, sir.
00:26 Good afternoon to all of you and good afternoon, Ma'am Malu and to your team.
00:30 I'm honored to be here. Thank you for having me.
00:33 Okay, for background, he used to give lectures at UP National College of Public Ad
00:39 and became Undersecretary, Director General, and Staff of 10 government agencies.
00:47 He served for 25 years. His brother is Ambassador Ed Malaya and his mother is a former Regional Trial Court Judge.
00:57 He has a pedigree in politics, public policy, local government, regional governance.
01:02 Director Jonathan, what is the status? Are we really going to advance in the West Philippine Sea?
01:10 Is this just for now or can we go to military engagement?
01:16 Well, first of all, we cannot say that we are going to advance under this administration.
01:21 Some people are saying that our policy is different because of the way our democracy works.
01:29 If we will read our Constitution, it is clear that the principal architect of Philippine foreign policy is the President.
01:35 It just so happened that the previous administration had a different foreign policy.
01:39 But under this current administration of President Bongbong Marcos, our policy is very clear.
01:48 Number one, we will not sacrifice or lose any inch of our territory wherever it may be,
01:55 whether it's in the West Philippines or other parts of the Philippines.
01:59 Second, we are a friend to all and enemy to none.
02:03 Therefore, we will not consider any of the claimant states to be our enemies.
02:07 And we have strong bilateral mechanisms in dealing with other problems.
02:12 Having said that, it is clear that the policy now is to push back.
02:16 Okay.
02:17 So it's to push back because we are pursuing our national interest.
02:24 It is very clear that our country is being led by the bullying, aggressive tactics,
02:34 provocative actions that are being done to our Philippine vessels as they do their raw remissions
02:41 or when our vessels visit Scarborough Shoal or Bahaudimasinlok and in other parts of the West Philippine Sea
02:47 where there is swarming and alleged environmental degradation that is happening.
02:53 So in response to all of these, our government is pushing back.
02:57 But Joseph Jonathan, let's count, 56 diplomatic protests and note verbal, this year.
03:05 How many incidents? It seems like every other week there is a water cannon incident,
03:11 there are Chinese naval patrol ships being dispatched and we are also responding to the dangers.
03:21 How many incidents and how many protest reports, protest note verbal?
03:26 Well, I don't have figures right now. The DFA has it and they are releasing that data.
03:31 But maybe I will just release it, Ma'am Malu, it's a different lens.
03:37 A different perspective to, for example, Ayungin Shoal, let's just talk about Ayungin Shoal.
03:43 It's the fact that we cannot be separated, the BRP-Saramadre cannot be separated and it cannot be removed.
03:52 So in fact, if we look at it through that lens, if we look at it from a different perspective,
03:58 we are the winners because Ayungin Shoal is under our effective occupation and we have our troops there.
04:06 Ma'am Malu, perhaps most of our countrymen are frustrated because of the bullying that's happening.
04:13 But I am sure in Beijing right now, the decision makers there are also scratching their heads.
04:21 Despite their superpower status and their emerging global hegemony, they don't know what they will do to us.
04:31 They are spending millions deploying all of these Coast Guard vessels, 38 vessels in the last RORE,
04:41 planned Navy, Chinese maritime militia, Chinese Coast Guard vessels.
04:47 Not only in Ayungin Shoal, there are other places where they are spending a lot and yet our country is not being supported.
04:55 I hope that perspective will be reflected in our country's discourse.
05:00 Okay. So it means we're standing our ground. It means we are not being supported.
05:05 But China is using different techniques and they are deploying a lot.
05:11 It means our countrymen are importing. The US, Australia, Japan are there.
05:18 What does this mean? Are we preparing for a multinational engagement in our fight against China?
05:24 In so far as Ayungin Shoal is concerned, our adjustments are primarily domestic in nature,
05:32 decisions made by the Philippine government for Philippine vessels and for Philippine operations.
05:41 We are not receiving any foreign help.
05:46 This is our last RORE mission in Ayungin Shoal.
05:49 The decision to add another vessel, before it was just two, now it's three because we deployed almost 100-meter BRP Melchor-Aquino.
06:02 That decision was purely a Philippine decision.
06:05 And that decision was successful because it entered the lagoon.
06:10 Even we were there, it entered.
06:12 So it was a complete success in so far as the mission parameters are concerned.
06:17 What is the mission? To send supplies.
06:20 In the past, something happened. One was able to enter. This time, two were able to enter.
06:25 There is no foreign support for that.
06:28 The presence of the Poseidon aircraft, as we have explained in the past, is merely for ISR or for surveillance.
06:37 The US is just knowing what is happening because there is a mutual defense treaty.
06:42 So they are just making sure that there is no armed attack on a Philippine vessel that is happening there.
06:49 And these are international, though this may be part of the inclusive economic zone of the Philippines,
06:57 we have freedom of overflight and freedom of navigation in that part of the world.
07:02 But Joseph Jonathan, we know that for now there is a relative peace, an unsteady peace actually.
07:11 But what is the calibration of this?
07:14 What would take on the part of China and on the part of the Philippines recalibrating it to conflict level 1, 2, 3?
07:23 What is the scenario that you are looking at in the NSC?
07:26 Can this be continued with direct engagement?
07:31 In our opinion, no. Our actions are calculated.
07:38 In so far as we are concerned, we are deploying three Coast Guard vessels, only limited to Coast Guard.
07:48 And our resupply vessels are small.
07:52 In fact, we should have deployed them on May 2, but we were able to deploy them on May 2 during the last RORE,
07:57 so we used the ML Kalayaan.
08:00 So for us, we are keeping it at that level, but our so-called measured transparency initiative, we are not stopping it.
08:13 In fact, we are riding with the GMA, ABS-CBN, and other media outlets, not only local but international,
08:25 primarily for purposes of letting the world know of what's happening.
08:29 So maybe the question is, will the Philippines change their measured transparency policy in fighting the information war?
08:37 No, we will continue to pursue that.
08:40 But here on the ground, that's what we are moving towards.
08:44 So to keep it at that and not to bring this conflict to a kinetic level.
08:50 Okay. So bringing this conflict to a kinetic level also involves many other countries.
08:55 For example, we have many claimants in that area and we also have many allies, Western powers that are interested.
09:03 In fact, it's China against these Western powers.
09:06 And they say that the Philippines and other claimants in the South China Sea are like pawns,
09:13 like chess, they are just playing with these superpowers.
09:16 What do you think?
09:17 Are we developing a global conflict here between China and the US and Western powers?
09:23 And then we are the ones with the bad luck and the ones in the middle.
09:27 I heard that already. That's the narrative coming from Beijing.
09:31 I hear that all the time.
09:33 That we are the puppet of America, that we will be sacrificed in case there's a war.
09:39 They call it a cannon fodder.
09:41 Why are we getting involved in the conflict between the two countries?
09:45 But if you look at the facts, ma'am, it's obvious that the US is not a claimant state in the South China Sea.
09:53 The claimant state is the Philippines and China and other countries.
09:58 In fact, when we filed our arbitral claim in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013, if I'm not mistaken,
10:12 it was not against the United States, it was not against any other country, it was against China.
10:18 So our issue is against China, not with the US.
10:22 Now, the next question is why are we transferring alliances to the US?
10:27 To provoke China.
10:30 And by doing so, provoking China.
10:32 Correct.
10:33 We are doing so because the United States and the Philippines, their interests have aligned, have intersected.
10:41 The interest of the Philippines is for our fishermen, the natural resources including oil perhaps,
10:50 and the blue economy that could be the game changer for the future generations of Filipinos.
10:57 The interest of America is freedom of navigation, global trade, and all of that.
11:03 It just so happens that the two intersect.
11:06 And the interests of the United States and the Philippines are directly opposed to the interests of China,
11:15 which seeks to take control of the entire South China Sea.
11:19 Now, there will be times that the interests of the US and the Philippines will diverge.
11:24 And we are cognizant of that. Our history has shown that.
11:29 So what is the issue? Can we be separated?
11:32 Yes, our history has shown that that's possible.
11:35 But in this time that our interests converge, that doesn't mean we're being a puppet of China.
11:42 By pushing back against China, we are actually pursuing our national interest.
11:47 And secondly, ma'am, the issue of the United States.
11:51 We have a mutual defense treaty with them.
11:53 If we will not use that mutual defense treaty, we might as well abrogate it.
11:58 We won't be able to benefit from it.
12:00 But if you are China, it seems like you will be confused.
12:05 Because during the time of former President Duterte, the Philippines and China were BFFs.
12:10 Now, during the time of President BBM, it seems like there is a pivot back to the US.
12:14 So please explain to me, isn't the Philippines also confused?
12:19 From one president to the other, there is a shifting or a transferring court.
12:25 Well, that happens not only in the Philippines but in many other countries.
12:30 China also has many issues with other countries.
12:33 Let me give you one example.
12:35 Australia.
12:36 During the pandemic, the Australians questioned the source of COVID.
12:44 Australia said, "Release China, the source of COVID."
12:47 And China got angry and there was economic coercion.
12:52 The products of Australia like wine and beef were heavily taxed as a form of economic coercion by China.
13:00 That's why the previous Prime Minister had a different approach.
13:07 He had an election and he changed.
13:10 The winner was the Labour government.
13:12 Their albanese was different.
13:17 His approach was also different.
13:19 In fact, he just came from Beijing a few days ago.
13:23 But that doesn't mean that the Philippines will be left alone.
13:27 What I mean to say is that is the beauty of democracy.
13:31 Whenever there is a new government that assumes there could be a change in policy,
13:37 the only advantage of China is they are controlled by one party, the Communist Party of China.
13:43 That's why their planning and positions cuts across many years.
13:49 In fact, they say that China's planning is 100 years.
13:53 All right.
13:54 Yousef, Jonathan, our problem is you talked about what unites us and the United States volume converges at the moment.
14:01 But for a long, long time, we have a lot of converged concerns with China.
14:05 China is the biggest source of our imports and the biggest buyer of our exports.
14:11 There are a lot of projects that China funded or China has a promise to fund.
14:17 We have a big Filipino-Chinese diaspora or Chinese-Filipino diaspora.
14:22 And they've been very good as important players in business and industry.
14:28 How will that be?
14:30 We cannot say goodbye to China because there are a lot of debts, grants, projects,
14:37 and our balance of trade is tied to China.
14:43 That's right.
14:44 You make a very good point, ma'am, precisely because what we need here is a great balancing act.
14:51 As you, Yoursef, pointed out correctly, our trade relations with China are very big
14:58 and we cannot allow the West Philippine Sea to be the determinant of that relationship.
15:04 The conflict in the West Philippine Sea is not the entirety of our relations with China.
15:09 We have a lot of deeper relations with the economy.
15:14 That's why, if you will notice, our policy right now is we're just strengthening the military.
15:22 We're strengthening the military for deterrence to improve our status as a middle power.
15:29 But we are not extending that to other spheres.
15:35 We are not…
15:36 A lot of people are suggesting why we should not include America in the RORE.
15:42 But there are a lot of…
15:45 Explain the RORE so that we can understand.
15:48 Yes, the RORE is the Rotation and Resupply Mission.
15:53 Since a lot of our countrymen are feeling bad, why are we being bullied?
16:00 Why are we being bullied?
16:02 They know that we lack in equipment.
16:05 But America has a lot of equipment.
16:07 Why don't we ask the US Navy for help?
16:10 The US Navy should drop supplies to the Ionian Shoal.
16:15 Okay, all right.
16:16 But…
16:17 That question, in our opinion, is not appropriate.
16:20 Because of what you said, the West Philippine Sea Dispute cannot be the totality of relations between China and the Philippines.
16:26 Okay.
16:27 But Joseph, Jonathan, to be honest, we don't have a, as Justice Carpio said, credible defense posture.
16:34 At this time, the Coast Guard will add an intelligence confidential fund.
16:39 But to be honest, our patrol craft and our vessels are still in their early stages.
16:46 And they might not be able to catch up if the patrols are fast.
16:51 What is the plan there for us to have a credible defense posture?
16:56 Because to be honest, it will all depend on how far we can go to calibrate or to recalibrate or decrease the conflict level.
17:06 I would agree that we are not yet there, but we are getting there.
17:11 Our countrymen don't know that the armed forces should do a better job communicating this.
17:19 The good thing of our armed forces has already improved.
17:24 In fact, we are already at the end of Horizon 2, AFP modernization, and we are already re-horizoning for Horizon 3
17:35 so that we can implement what is called a 360-degree archipelagic governance.
17:42 What I mean by that is, every corner of our country, we have a coastal radar system
17:52 that has a missile system and has airplanes that can intercept incoming airspace
18:00 and has ships that can respond if there is a violation of Philippine territorial waters.
18:07 What is the timetable for that?
18:09 The timetable for that is Horizon 2 will be completed by next year and Horizon 3 will immediately proceed.
18:16 But we can already see the commitments, for example, of the Japanese Prime Minister when he came to the Philippines
18:24 for the delivery of five 96 or 97-meter Philippine Coast Guard vessels that can cross the vessels of China.
18:41 We continue to work with our neighbors because even if we spend all of the national budget in improving the Navy,
18:51 the Chinese Navy now is the largest in terms of number of vessels.
18:56 We cannot really go toe-to-toe against China.
18:59 Justice Carpio is afraid that we are only at the level of credible defense posture
19:05 in the sense that if we are occupied by China, they will be hurt.
19:10 They would think twice.
19:13 We should strengthen our cooperation now not only with the US but also with like-minded countries such as Australia, Japan, South Korea
19:23 because the more allies we have, the better our credible defense posture is.
19:30 That is Horizon 3 and Horizon 2. How much funding did you receive in the budget?
19:35 Oh ma'am, I did not know that you will ask me that question so I will not answer that question.
19:40 We will google it because it is in the law.
19:43 There are laws that were passed by Congress that provided funds for the acquisition of assets for our armed forces to modernize it to modern standards.
19:57 What is your view on the NSC?
19:59 Because equipment, armaments, ammunition are one thing.
20:03 But what about cyber technology, equipment, apparatus that we need to fight cyber war?
20:12 Because in reality, there are a lot of DDoS attacks that they said came from China.
20:17 They said that the hacked species came from China.
20:23 In the NSC, the West Philippine Sea is different but cyber attacks from China is a big issue.
20:30 In fact, when we entered the NSC, that's this year.
20:35 Secretary Año assumed in January and we entered in February.
20:41 That is one of the vulnerabilities of the country that we are seeing.
20:47 That is why one of the first things that the NSC and NICA pointed out was the vulnerability of our national grid
20:55 because of the substantial investment of Chinese companies in the National Grid Corporation.
21:02 So there was a long discussion with the National Grid Corporation and we have people who are monitoring the National Grid
21:10 to make sure that just in case things go sideways, our power supply is not affected.
21:16 So that is one of our vulnerabilities that we as a nation, especially the DICT plus the other agencies of government involved
21:30 should work together to make sure our cyber security in the face of these attacks from other countries.
21:40 They said that cyber security involves most importantly the infrastructure.
21:46 You said the National Grid. China has investment, Chinese senior personnel in the National Grid because they have the expertise to run the company.
21:56 We also have a vulnerability in the infrastructure, water, power.
22:00 Well, power is the National Grid.
22:02 But other telecom systems, can't that be a possible point of attack if we have a scuffle with China?
22:13 Yes, you're right. That is why our National Security Council issued the National Security Policy.
22:21 The President issued an executive order in August of this year and we will launch this hopefully before the end of the month.
22:30 In the National Security Policy, we listed down the national security interests and one of the national security interests is really cyber
22:44 because our way of life will be definitely affected.
22:48 Just think about it. For example, if the payment system in GCash is compromised or the RFID system in SLICS and NLICS is compromised,
22:58 it will affect our lives, my life, your life. So we really need to secure our cyber domain.
23:05 Okay. So to be honest, just like in China, is it possible that we have a problem if we talk about cyber security?
23:14 Because hackers are everywhere or cyber attack teams are everywhere.
23:18 What is the source of the potential threat? Our cyber security.
23:22 Well, cyber can come from anywhere. The cyber attack can be from a small town in Germany or elsewhere and the hackers are there.
23:34 They can do harm. The problem with some countries is that it's state sanctioned.
23:43 That is a problem if it's, well, it's a problem whether it's state sanctioned or not, but it's more of a problem in my opinion if it is state sanctioned
23:53 because it means the apparatus of government are working together to affect the stability of a certain society.
24:01 What you're implying is if China is a state-run socialist state, that's the possibility if state policy will attack cyber.
24:10 If China, and I'm not saying as an official of the National Security Council, I would be responsible if I would accuse China of doing so.
24:19 If China is responsible for some of these attacks, that would be a national security threat.
24:24 Okay. Now the US is quite busy in Gaza, Israel-Hamas war. The US is also quite engaged in Ukraine until now.
24:32 And in Taiwan, the China-Taiwan conflict, will it actually matter that much if the US concerns are that much?
24:45 There are elections coming up next year. So what do you think will happen?
24:51 Well, ma'am, the message coming from the United States, the assurance coming from them has not been stronger in my long experience in government.
25:01 I have been also observing this before, they are not hesitating about the mutual defense treaty.
25:10 But recently, as a result of the President's visit to Washington, when the joint protocols were signed,
25:22 the updated guidelines on the defense cooperation with the Philippines,
25:26 the implementation of the mutual defense treaty has become very clear.
25:31 Even the coverage. Because if I remember my political science, it's always a big issue if the South China Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean.
25:42 The wording of the mutual defense treaty is an armed attack on a metropolitan area. That's the wording.
25:49 But the updated defense guidelines issued by both countries clearly stated that an armed attack on a public vessel,
25:59 it's very clear now that even a B-4 vessel would be covered by these new defense guidelines.
26:08 And the South China Sea, as an appendage of the Pacific Ocean, is covered by the mutual defense treaty.
26:15 Now, as you said, the United States is busy in other parts of the world, but we have been assured,
26:21 the National Security Council has been assured by the US military establishment and even by the State Department,
26:27 that their commitment to the Philippines is, as they mentioned, ironclad.
26:32 And that they have enough assets in the Indo-Pacific area in case things go sideways in the West Philippine Sea.
26:41 If things really go sideways. Now, Joseph Jonathan, you said that the US commitment to the Philippines is stronger,
26:49 but on the defense and security front. But it used to be that the US was quite critical of the corruption and human rights violations in the Philippines.
26:58 Has the US softened down on the criticism of the Philippines? What about the case in the International Criminal Court?
27:05 It's like the government doesn't know if it's still a case. What does the National Security Council think about this?
27:11 When it comes to human rights, good governance, or corruption issues, are we vulnerable vis-a-vis our partners, not just the US but the EU?
27:20 Well, that's a good question ma'am. But these issues are not raised to us with our foreign counterparts.
27:29 They don't raise human rights issues with us. They don't raise corruption issues.
27:34 When they come to the National Security Council, which is very often, what we talk about is our common interests in the West Philippine Sea,
27:42 our need for interoperability. We're talking about a reciprocal access agreement, for example, with Japan, a trilateral dialogue among the three countries.
27:52 That's where we're focused. So maybe the National Security Council is not the right agency to address that question.
27:59 Okay. Not the right agency but it used to be that these issues were actually the obstacles to getting more funding or more aid or more cooperation from Western allies, right?
28:12 Maybe in the past, but I have not felt that this time.
28:16 Okay. So, Yusec, Jonathan, what can people expect, especially the affected parties, our fishermen in the area and our communities,
28:27 from the possible confusion if they continue to fight? What can we expect from the scenario between now and in the next two years?
28:37 Will this continue as a diplomatic situation or will it be possible to have a defense posturing on both sides?
28:44 When we met with the Senate, because we have to defend our budget in the Senate, the Senate expressed its wholehearted support for what the National Security Council and our attached agency,
28:57 the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, is doing. In fact, Senate President Zubiri said, "You're doing a good job. Keep on doing the good job."
29:05 And that we will provide as much as we can, the necessary resources for you to assert our claim in the West Philippine Sea.
29:12 So given that assurance from the Senate, the National Security Council will look at our interest.
29:23 If they continue to promise a fund for Ayungin Shoal, then we can utilize that to further improve our outpost in Ayungin Shoal.
29:34 The support of the Senate to buy additional ships for our coast guard so we can be equal at the level of the Chinese coast guard, that will be a very big help to us.
29:48 Now in so far as our fishermen is concerned, the additional funding coming from the Senate will make sure that the BFAR can spread up and down the West Philippine Sea,
29:59 give subsidies to fuel, give food to our fishermen because that is the only way we will implement the arbitral ruling.
30:08 No one will implement it for us. There is no international police. The US should not implement it for us. We should implement it ourselves.
30:20 So that is what we will do in support of what has been discussed.
30:25 So you're not going to file another suit to the United Nations or arbitral ruling bodies of the United Nations?
30:34 When we also briefed the Senate in a separate opportunity around two months ago, we discussed that the United Nations General Assembly may not be the proper forum
30:48 because by doing so we are simply relitigating what we have already won. That's number one.
30:55 And number two, even if we win, which is quite improbable in the General Assembly, whatever resolution comes from that is non-binding anyway.
31:05 So it does not in any way support our claim.
31:07 And we are happy that the Senators took our position when we briefed them.
31:12 And so far as filing another case in other tribunals for other things, that is what the team from the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice are studying.
31:25 If we can file a case for the environmental degradation in several of our shoals,
31:34 we saw that there was a swarming, the Chinese maritime militia vessels were there for a long time, and when they left, they were already destroyed.
31:42 That is what they are studying now. We are preparing all the documentation and at the end of the day, it will be up to the President to decide if we need to file another case.
31:52 At least you are cool and calm in explaining, but even if the Congress supports what you are doing,
32:00 it seems like there are also hecklers and supporters of the Senators.
32:06 What can you say to calm our Senators?
32:10 I have nothing to say to the Senators.
32:14 Because we must accord respect for a co-equal branch of government as a courtesy to them.
32:21 We have not received anything but support.
32:24 But what I have an issue with is the pro-China that does not stop me.
32:31 You are being trolled by the pro-China.
32:35 Yes, I am being trolled. In fact, people have been telling me that they are not stopping from the UNDAS until now. I am not paying attention to it.
32:44 What are they saying?
32:45 Well, the usual Chinese narrative that number one, the National Security Council is using the United States.
32:55 Number two, China is a better friend than the United States because China gave us the vaccines, blah, blah, blah.
33:03 They have a very clear narrative that they are doing this to China and they are repeating it to our domestic audience.
33:13 I sounded that alarm when the water cannon incident happened because I was worried that some of our countrymen might be convinced by what they are saying.
33:25 Ma'am, just to be perfectly clear, I respect the right to freedom of speech because they claimed that my statements had a chilling effect on them.
33:37 I have no issue about you saying that you love Xi Jinping or you love China or whatever. I have no problem with that.
33:44 My concern with them is their distribution of fake news.
33:49 They are clearly spreading disinformation and misinformation about what's happening in the West Philippines.
33:57 That's why we were happy when Chino Gaston and Joseph Morong of the GMA joined us because they are the ones who are telling the people that the BRP Cabra did not retreat from the Chinese maritime militia
34:11 and that the UNISA-MAY did not stop the very active Coast Guard.
34:17 These pro-China would like the Filipino people to believe that we will be the ones to fight when we do our role remissions.
34:25 So I understand it's part of being in public service but that's my only issue. I have no issue with the senators.
34:33 Know your facts first. So it's not just the sea but also the cyberspace that has a problem.
34:39 On that note, we would like to thank Undersecretary Assistant Director General of the National Security Council, Mr. Jonathan Malaya.
34:48 Keep safe sir and thank you very much.
34:51 Thank you very much and long live to you.
34:53 [Music]