Tarriela: 2028 poll outcome a concern for China

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February 21, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The outcome of the 2028 national elections is a concern for China as it could carve out policy direction on the West Philippine Sea, according to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman on WPS issues, Commodore Jay Tarriela.

“It will be to their disadvantage if the next president continues what President Marcos has been doing so far – exposing Chinese aggression,” Tarriela said during a cybersecurity forum in Makati yesterday.

The commodore believes that the Chinese embassy’s remarks are part of a concerted effort to silence the transparency measures engaged by the Philippine government on WPS.

In a speech, Tarriela noted a “calibrated” strategy from trolls and online commentators that frames WPS issues to be handled diplomatically by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), excluding multi-agency involvement.

“Surprisingly, this very line was picked up by our leading presidentiable, Vice President Sara Duterte, who rarely weighs in on WPS matters,” Tarriela recalled.

On Feb. 12, Duterte declined to comment on the Senate resolution condemning the statements of Chinese diplomats, saying it is a matter for the President and the DFA.

Only Duterte has expressed her intention to run as president in the 2028 national elections.

Tarriela highlighted that transparency efforts on WPS should continue to expose Chinese aggression.

“As you assess your candidates, whether for president, in the Senate or district representatives in the Congress, there is always a reason for you to weigh in on whether that politician will support our fight or not,” Tarriela concluded.

Senate panel to meet with Chinese embassy

Sen. Erwin Tulfo yesterday confirmed that he will have a meeting on Monday with Chinese embassy officials in Manila to put an end to their word war.

Tulfo said the DFA coordinated the meeting with him as chair of the Senate foreign relations committee.

For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson thanked the DFA for helping the Senate in his proposal for a dialogue among senators and Chinese diplomats, amid the embassy’s social media attacks on critics and the Senate’s adopted resolution condemning it.

Lacson said there will be an all-senator caucus – also on Monday – to talk about the dialogue, which was his idea.

“I will mention this proposal and find out the sentiment of the other senators, including the discussion on the parameters of the said dialogue,” he added.

DFA welcomes dialogue

While stressing that the country’s sovereign rights over its maritime domain is unquestionable, the DFA welcomed yesterday the Senate’s move to hold a dialogue with the Chinese embassy.

“The core dynamics of Philippine maritime statecraft do not operate in isolation – they are mutually reinforcing and pursued simultaneously. Accordingly, even as the DFA deepens alliances and partnerships with like-minded countries, it also maintains open lines of communication with the Chinese side in pursuit of candid, constructive dialogue and practical cooperation,” DFA spokesman for maritime affairs Rogelio Villanueva Jr. said.

If asked, he said the DFA is prepared to extend any assistance to the Senate insofar as the holding of the dialogue.

Villanueva noted that the DFA also welcomes “the diversity of opinion inherent in our democratic tradition” while at the same time “encourages that official statements on foreign policy matters be considered in their full and proper context, particularly on issues that directly bear on the national interest.”

Villanueva stressed that the DFA reiterates that the country’s “sovereignty over its archipelago and other territories – including Bajo de Masinloc, the high-tide features of the Kalayaan Island Group and other relevant areas – as well as its jurisdiction over maritime entitlements under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as clarified by the 2016 Arbitral Award, are incontrovertible.”

Villanueva said the recent issuance of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of an Administrative Map that clearly delineates the territories over which the Philippines exercises sovereignty, including the KIG, Bajo de Masinloc and other relevant areas, also removes all confusion over which is which in the WPS.

“The DFA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and will continue to champion the country’s maritime rights and interests through effective and principled diplomacy,” he said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Michael Punongbayan