Members of the media were reminded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday to “exercise prudence” in conducting work inside the West Philippine Sea, as they are supposedly “concerned” for their well-being.
The statement of the military was released a day after 2 Chinese missile crafts chased down a Filipino civilian vessel where a media team from the Philippines was aboard.
The said civilian ship was traveling across various shoals and reefs in the West Philippine Sea, the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the disputed South China Sea, close to the province of Palawan to see where Filipino fisherfolk have moved their livelihood.
Coordinates from the GPS indicate that the Filipino vessel was only 90 nautical miles from mainland Palawan traversing a straight path home when the Chinese ships chased it down.
But according to AFP spokesperson Marine Major General Edgard Arevalo, he was merely concerned with everyone’s safety, especially the media, who are reporting in Philippine waters.
“While we understand the journalists’ insatiable desire to be ahead in reporting, we appeal to them to exercise prudence in the course of their job,” said Arevalo.
“The AFP is concerned with the safety and well-being of our Kababayans that we have been forthright and transparent in our reporting about the situation in our EEZ,” he added.
