Bersamin: No reason for Pinoys to be alarmed on possible Taiwan 'invasion'
By ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA Integrated News
Published April 3, 2025 11:09am
Updated April 3, 2025 4:22pm
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin/File photo/Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin asked Filipinos Thursday not to be alarmed following the statement of Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on the possible Taiwan "invasion" as China launched military exercises around Taipei.
In an ambush interview, Bersamin said the Philippines is just preparing for any eventuality amid recent activities of Beijing in the area, adding that ''we are not going to war.''
''Hindi bago ito kasi matagal na naming pinag-uusapan 'yan ano (This is not new because we've been discussing that). Because of the great possibility of the mainland China crossing the channel between it and Taiwan to recover Taiwan. This is just part of the preparedness that we as a country should be put into. 'Yung context noong kay Gen. Brawner making that statement, there should not be any alarm on the part of the Filipinos to look or see that interview. Because the Philippines has been preparing for the eventuality of an invasion,'' Bersamin said.
''We're not saying when that invasion will take place, whether it will take place at all. Ang importante sa atin, hindi tayo natutulog sa pansitan. Kaya 'yung context nung pagsasalita ni Gen. Brawner is just to announce something that we are prepared, whole of nation, whole of government approach 'yan,'' he added.
(What is important is we will not be caught off-guard. That's the context of General Brawner's statement.)
Bersamin said there would be no main agency to be involved in the preparation, adding that the priority, if any, is the repatriation of Filipinos.
Bersamin ensured that the Philippines has the needed assets for this eventuality.
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The Philippine government does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a democratic self-ruling island which has been separated from the Chinese mainland since 1949.
Manila, however, maintains a de-facto embassy in Taiwan called the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).
For his part, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac guaranteed that the government is ready in ensuring the safety and welfare of Filipinos in Taiwan.
''We will go by the statement by the good Executive Secretary that the Philippine government stands ready. Under the Marcos administration, we have met, we have been meeting to discuss the contingency plans,'' Cacdac said at a separate press briefing.
''But having said that, we also would like to assure our OFWs and OFW families of [the] safety of their loved ones in Taiwan and anywhere in the world dahil handa naman ang Philippine government under the Marcos administration na tulungan sila,'' he added.
(The Philippine government under the Marcos administration is ready to assist them.)
A Reuters report stated that China's military had launched military exercises code-named "Strait Thunder-2025A" in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait.
"The exercises focus on subjects of identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention so as to test the troops' capabilities of area regulation and control, joint blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets," the Chinese military said in a statement.
Philippine military chief Brawner earlier told Filipino troops to get ready in case of an invasion of Taiwan as China launched military exercises around Taipei.
"Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan. So ie-extend na natin 'yung (We will extend our) sphere of operations natin because if something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved," Brawner said.
"There are 250,000 OFWs working in Taiwan and we will have to rescue them. And it will be the task of Nolcom to be at the front line of that operation," he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Tags: Lucas Bersamin, romeo brawner jr, China-Taiwan tensions, pinoys in taiwan
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