Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang defended the presence of multiple government spokespeople speaking on the West Philippine Sea, saying agencies address different aspects of the issue but remain aligned under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive of being firm yet diplomatic.
Palace press officer Claire Castro made the clarification after questions were raised about public confusion over statements coming from various agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Coast Guard, the National Maritime Council and the Philippine Navy.
“Iba-iba po kasi ang kanilang goal, iba-iba po ang kanilang pagiging spokesperson, iba-iba iyong kanilang topic. Pagdating po sa DFA, it’s more on the policy. Pagdating po, let’s say, sa Philippine Coast Guard, sa operations sila. So, magkaiba po kasi ang magiging mensahe ng Philippine Coast Guard as compared sa DFA,” Castro said.
[Translation: They have different goals, different roles as spokespersons, and different topics. When it comes to the DFA, it is more on policy. When it comes to, for example, the Philippine Coast Guard, it is about operations. So the message of the coast guard is different from that of the DFA.]
Castro agencies with different mandates are unified in direction.
“So, nagkakaisa naman po, aligned naman kung ano ang gusto ng pangulo – firm pero diplomatic. So, hindi naman po nagkakaiba-iba. Iba lang po siguro ang kung papaano nila ito ihayag dahil iba naman din po iyong kanilang ipinapahayag – iyong isa polisiya, iyong isa naman po ay operations,” she said.
[Translation: They are united and aligned with what the president wants, firm but diplomatic. They are not contradicting each other; the difference lies only in how they express it, because what they are conveying is also different, one is policy, the other is operations.]
The clarification followed the Department of Foreign Affairs’ recent assertion of its lead role as the government’s “authoritative voice” on maritime issues, amid heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Newly appointed DFA spokesperson for maritime affairs Rogelio Villanueva said the agency leads state-to-state engagement and coordinates with other government bodies, while managing relations with neighboring countries, including China.
“The DFA remains the Philippines’ authoritative voice on regional and international issues,” Villanueva said, adding that diplomacy is indispensable even as the country maintains defense capabilities and transparency.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said the creation of a dedicated maritime affairs spokesperson aims to ensure clarity and coherence in messaging.
“Other agencies have their own spokespeople, but it is critical that the DFA communicates clearly the actions being undertaken and the principles guiding our engagement with other states,” Escalona said.
