Amid possible interference of China in the research activity of the Philippine government in Recto Bank and Rizal Reef, the Philippine Navy expressed readiness to escort research team "if needed".

In a press conference in Manila, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippines Sea, admitted that the interference conducted by foreign players in the West Philippine Sea against the other government agencies is beyond their control.

But, Trinidad said what the military "could assure other government agencies and the Filipino public is that your armed forces will keep performing its mandate to ensure the integrity of the national territory to include protecting all fishers wherein there are presence of other government agencies."

"Yes, the role of the armed forces is to provide the security blanket in any part of the archipelago to allow other government agencies to be able to perform their mandate," said Trinidad.

"If we have to go down to the details of that, like escorting them like we have done in the past during the different research activities of another government agency, then we are prepared for that?," he added.

The military expressed its support to the research activity of the DENR, days after the agency announced its plan to conduct an integrated research on biodiversity conservation at the Recto Bank and Rizal Reef in April.

In a forum, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said with the research the agency "expect to discover more and measure the Philippine treasure in the ecosystems of the West Philippine Sea".

Despite possible tension caused by the research activity, Trinidad said that "the actions of the armed forces are for the security, safety, and protection of all agencies and government, including the civil society."

"We support other government agencies as much as this is our primary mandate. The AFP provides support operations to the government agencies in protecting the environment," he noted. Robina Asido/DMS