MANILA -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday said it hopes that the government can install more radars and deploy more vessels to help protect the country's assets in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines has been relying on technology in the West Philippine Sea to counter the illegal activities of China, Asia's largest economy, which has deployed a more massive fleet to claim nearly the entire South China Sea, said Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the PCG.

"Our strategic use of technology has allowed us to counter China's action," he said during the Social Good Summit.

"We have relied on underwater cameras to show not [just] China's blatant disregard for international law, but also how they incur damage to the environment," he said.

• AFP suspects China of harvesting corals in Rozul Reef
• Senate special committee for maritime and admiralty zones convenes for 1st time

"Instead of engaging in a direct confrontation, we captured the incidents through cameras and drone shots. The photos we released to the rest of the world cause greater diplomatic harm to the Chinese," he said.

Since the PCG could not rely on apps and artificial intelligence due to security reasons, boosting the number of radars in the West Philippine Sea could further enhance the Philippines' efforts in asserting its sovereignty in waters which China illegally claims, Tarriela said.

"Install more radars, intensify our capability for automatic identification system… Have more vessels so that everytime we track a Chinese vessel, we can send our own vessels," the spokesperson said.

"With the right technology, we can create awareness… The sense of patriotism will be triggered, allowing all of us to be united regardless of our political affiliations," he said.

"Through the use of technology, we are holding China accountable for their blatant violations of international law, since their actions are now being broadcasted to the entire world," he added.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Transparency on Beijing's activities in the West Philippine Sea was a mandate of the Marcos Jr. administration, Tarriela said when asked why the PCG did not release as much information on China's aggression in the past 6 years.

During former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, the government only publicized 3 incidents in the West Philippine Sea between Filipino and Chinese ships as the former Commander-in-Chief forged closer ties with Beijing in exchange of loans.

• Senators share details of Duterte's meeting with Xi Jinping
• Analyst offers 2 reasons for Duterte's meeting with Xi
• China's Xi meets with ex-president Duterte in Beijing

Months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rose to power, the Philippines began pivoting again towards the United States, its traditional allies, after China reneged on its earlier promise to peacefully settle disputes in the strategic waterway.

Manila's push against Beijing's incursions in the West Philippine Sea intensified in August after Chinese Coast Guard ships used a water cannon and blocked Philippine resupply vessels from sailing towards an outpost in Ayungin Shoal.

Earlier this month, Marcos Jr. urged the Southeast Asian and other world leaders to work together to keep the Indo-Pacific safe, open and free from certain "hegemonic ambitions."

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more News on iWantTFC