China ban doesn’t scare outspoken PCG officer
Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, is unfazed by the prospect that he may be denied entry to any Chinese territory due to his being vocal about Beijing’s aggressive moves in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“I think that’s a badge of honor also,” Tarriela said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday. “Because it means, you know, China would waste its time writing [a declaration] to ban you [from its territory],” he added.
However, he said he has no plans of visiting China anytime soon. Tarriela echoed Francis Tolentino’s remark that it felt like a “badge of honor” after the Chinese foreign ministry announced that it was banning the former senator from going to mainland China, Macao, and Hong Kong.
“It just goes to show that Senator Tolentino is recognized by the People’s Republic of China as a person who fights for our sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea,” Tarriela said.
Another outspoken China critic, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., also shrugged off a possible similar sanction against him.
