Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt captured something essential about this dynamic:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

The men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard are in the arena. Their faces are marred by the dust and sweat of strong and resolute duty in aggressively contested waters. They strive valiantly against overwhelming odds. They deserve better than the cold criticism of those seeking to earn political advantage at their expense.

To understand why these attacks ring so hollow, we must understand what the PCG actually faces—and frankly, what no other coast guard on Earth routinely confronts.

The China Coast Guard, together with the People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia and under the ultimate control of the People's Liberation Army, is modern history's largest paramilitary force--one now laser-focused on eliminating the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. It operates with unprecedented aggression, using its vastly superior size and numbers against a PCG--together with its equally brave Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources allies--which were purpose-built for traditional maritime safety and security roles, but have now been deployed into the breach to answer their country's moment of acute need.

CCG and militia vessels have repeatedly swarmed, blocked and rammed PCG and BFAR ships, firing powerful water cannons and blinding lasers and executed extremely dangerous maneuvers to block resupply missions operating legally on the high seas. Less than 3 months ago the BRP Suluan came mere meters from catastrophe under the bow of a PLA Navy guided missile destroyer. Yet at every turn the world's bravest coast guard has neither flinched nor failed in its duty, but has stood in the face of extreme danger with the utmost professional resolve.

Beyond asserting the Philippine sovereign rights--firmly settled and affirmed under international law--the PCG and BFAR continue to support and safeguard beleaguered Filipino fisherfolk whose livelihoods are devastated by Chinese blockades and threatened with violence and detention for merely supporting their families as they have for generations. They resupply the civilian community on Pag-Asa (Thitu) Island who have been forced to live their lives in the shadow of a menacing imperialist occupation force.

What elevates the PCG to what deserves to be legendary status has been the superb response of its crews: unwavering professionalism and restraint amid relentless provocation by a bully who desperately wants them hit back in anger so it can justify even more aggression. Against overwhelming odds and nerve-wracking danger, PCG crews have resiliently avoided retaliatory violence. Instead they calmly and meticulously document incidents, adhere to international maritime protocols, and continue their missions with disciplined resolve.

As an American deeply proud of my own country's superb coast guard, I must make an admission that comes with both humility and profound respect: the world has never witnessed a coast guard on that has routinely demonstrated the courage, resilience, devotion to duty, professionalism and restraint that the men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard has displayed while standing up for their country's sovereign rights against overwhelming odds.

This is not a slight to my own nation's guardians--it is simply a fact: the PCG has been tested in the crucible and refined by its fire. It operates in circumstances no other coast guard routinely faces, and responds with a composure and integrity that sets it apart. 

The PCG's work transcends politics; it's about protecting every Filipino's rights in ancestral waters. Its officers risk life and limb not for ideology or personal advancement, but for the nation. Every Filipino should feel extraordinary pride in these sentinels who stand atop its watery periphery at great personal risk and cost. They embody what I, an outsider, believe is the resilient Filipino spirit: facing adversity with courage, integrity and poise.

I make no claim to understand Filipino domestic politics. That is not my place or my purpose. But I know a little something about national service, and the character it takes to stand firm under pressure. I have known heroes and patriots, and I believe they walks among you in PCG and BFAR uniforms. When you see them, please stop and shake their hands.

The men and women of the PCG and BFAR epitomize the highest ideals of national service. They fill me with admiration, and I believe should fill every Filipino with pride.