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NewsTranscript
00:00We will talk about the departure of BRP Teresa Magbanwa from the Escoda Shoal. We will be joined by Commodore J Tariella, the founder of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea. Good morning.
00:12Good morning sir Arnold and to all of our viewers.
00:16Didn't the presence of China in the Escoda Shoal get stronger because of the departure of BRP Teresa Magbanwa?
00:24Well, first of all sir Arnold, the Philippine Coast Guard, BRP Teresa Magbanwa, when we deployed it since April, it had two missions.
00:35And that is to prevent China from doing reclamation activities that can affect the marine environment.
00:41Within five months of its deployment here, it did this again.
00:46And for the Philippine Coast Guard, it was a mission accomplished.
00:48However, it's important for us to note that the reason why we need to pull out BRP Teresa Magbanwa right now is because of the heavy weather condition
00:59and questionable seaworthiness that it suffered damages because of the ramming incident on August 31 and the depleting supplies.
01:10Yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard officer ran out of water and they even have trouble to sustain their food because as he said,
01:22they have been eating porridge for the past three weeks.
01:25So we cannot say that this is an abandonment of the Philippine Coast Guard in the Escoda Shoal?
01:34Well, for the Philippine Coast Guard, this is not an abandonment.
01:38We're not going to abandon BRP Escoda Shoal because we pulled out BRP Teresa Magbanwa.
01:44What we're saying is we are just repositioning our vessel.
01:49It will undergo repair and of course supplies.
01:52But then again, there are other Coast Guard vessels that we intend to deploy in Escoda Shoal, sir Arnold.
01:59So BRP Magbanwa has a replacement while doing this?
02:03Well, yes sir Arnold. That's the plan of the national government.
02:08Our executive secretary mentioned that Teresa Magbanwa is pulled out for the repair and the repositioning,
02:16but we're still going to sustain our presence in Escoda Shoal.
02:19Has the mission of BRP Teresa Magbanwa been successful in the reclamation that China is doing in Escoda Shoal?
02:29Well, as I said sir Arnold, we have successfully deterred China from doing reclamation activities since we deployed Teresa Magbanwa for more than five months.
02:41How many days before it will be replaced? Maybe when we go back there, there will be a runway again.
02:47Well, I don't think it will last that long sir Arnold.
02:51In the near future, the Philippine Coast Guard, we are planning out the deployment without disclosing the operational details of our plan.
03:03How are our people there in the ship?
03:07The question is, why is the supply of food and water lacking?
03:12There are airdrops being made. We are resupplying, but we are being blocked. Sometimes, we are able to do it.
03:18Well sir Arnold, this is an open book to our fellow media and public.
03:23The national government really had difficulty in doing the resupply operation for Teresa Magbanwa.
03:31The last time we had a successful resupply mission was August 31 and that's only limited to 300 kilos.
03:38This is an assurance to our fellow Filipinos that we are not giving up on Escoda Shoal.
03:45Well, let's be very clear sir Arnold.
03:48The Philippine Coast Guard together with the national government, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
03:54recognizes that Escoda Shoal is a low tide elevation.
03:58It falls within our own exclusive economic zone.
04:01We have sovereign rights over this and the Philippine Coast Guard will continuously patrol and deploy our vessels to make sure that our flag will always be there.
04:10But let me also emphasize sir Arnold.
04:12Yes.
04:14There is a misconception.
04:16The Escoda Shoal, as our commander said yesterday, has a total area of 137 square kilometers.
04:24It's that wide.
04:26You can just imagine the combination of the cities from Manila, Aluocan, Nabotas and Malabon.
04:36That's 130 plus square area kilometers.
04:39The possibility that we will be blocked is that there are a lot of areas that can be penetrated.
04:46That's why the Filipino people can still bank on our commitment that in the next coming days,
04:55our Coast Guard vessels will be once again sailing in these waters.
05:00Thank you very much Comrade J Tariela of PCG. Be careful.
05:04Thank you sir Arnold.
05:09This has been JMAI Integrated News on YouTube.
05:12To our listeners abroad, follow us on JMAI Pinoy TV and www.jmainews.tv.