The Malacañang Palace continues to remain silent on the issue of the arising conflict between the two giant nations—the United States and China—that could escalate into military aggression.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles, in a press briefing on Friday, 5 August reiterated that the Philippine government is being “cautious” in providing statements involving the country’s international relations.
She made the remark when asked if the tension between Washington and Beijing, which was caused by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, was discussed during the Cabinet meeting held hours earlier.
“Kapag tungkol po sa international relations, parati po tayong nag-iingat ngunit suffice it to say na minomonitor po ng matindi ang sitwasyon. Wala po tayong reaction o statement ukol doon,” Angeles told the media.
Moreover, Angeles was asked if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has given orders concerning Filipinos living in Taiwan amid heightened military threats here.
“Sa ngayon, mino-monitor natin ang sitwasyon. Magre-react lang po tayo matapos ang masusing pag-aaral at saka subject to the information that we get from the monitoring,” she replied.
Only at that point that the President will issue a statement regarding the issue, she noted.
Taiwan’s ministry of defense earlier bared that they have detected at least 22 Chinese military aircraft in waters surrounding the self-ruled island following Pelosi’s arrival.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wan has called on the Chinese government to “act with reason and exercise restraint” amid the latter’s “unilateral and irrational” military exercises along the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency, is the highest-ranking American government official to visit the democratic island in 25 years.
Her visit caused tensions spurred between US and China as the latter claims that Taiwan is part of its territory and its government views official visits by foreign government officials to the island as recognizing its sovereignty.