The Philippine Coast Guard is seeking to acquire more ships, according to an official, as talks are ongoing with its counterpart in the US to jointly patrol waters, possibly including the disputed South China Sea.
(Bloomberg) — The Philippine Coast Guard is seeking to acquire more ships, according to an official, as talks are ongoing with its counterpart in the US to jointly patrol waters, possibly including the disputed South China Sea.
There are parts of contested waters “that we failed to patrol constantly,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, the coast guard adviser of the commandant for maritime security, said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday.
The agency needs to increase to 20 from three its offshore patrol vessels capable of staying at sea for more than 10 days, Tarriela said. It’s also in talks with the US Coast Guard for a possible joint patrol, he said.
The Philippines recently saw tensions grow in the contested South China Sea, after its coast guard said a Chinese ship aimed a military-grade laser toward its vessel. China has maintained that the laser was not military grade that could harm anyone.
The coast guard is also pushing for the establishment of response bases in Palawan, Subic, Mindoro and the northern part of the Philippines, Tarriela said.
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