Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday stated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ought to communicate clearly and unequivocally to the Chinese authorities to handle maritime points within the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The opposition lawmaker stated this when requested in a tv interview on what needs to be executed to make China take heed to the Philippines and at last put a cease to its maritime operations within the WPS.
“Kailangan magbuo ng loob si Presidente to speak clearly and unequivocally para marinig siya at maintindihan ng Tsina. He cannot say that a compromise has not yet been reached, for example on Ayungin Shoal,” Hontiveros stated in an interview on ANC.
(The President must develop the braveness to talk clearly and unequivocally in order that China can hear and perceive him.)
Marcos earlier stated the Philippines has used the communication mechanism he proposed in Beijing following stories that the Chinese coast guard drove away Filipino fishers in waters off Ayungin Shoal.
The President stated he’s hoping that the Chinese facet would deliver the data to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During his state go to to Beijing earlier this month, Marcos stated he and Xi agreed to “find a compromise and find a solution that will be beneficial so that [Filipino] fishermen might be able to fish again in their natural fishing grounds.”
However, Hontiveros argued that there needs to be no compromises in the case of nationwide sovereignty, citing the Philippines’ authorized victory in 2016 in The Hague.
“There can be no compromise on national sovereignty. Sinabi na ni Presidente noong kampanya [that] he will not seed one square inch of Philippine territory. I-apply din niya sa katubigan, that he will not seed one square water unit of measurement sa ating exclusive economic zone at sa ating national territory,” she stated.
(The President already stated through the marketing campaign that he won’t seed one sq. inch of Philippine territory. He must additionally apply this to our waters, that he won’t seed one sq. water unit of measurement in our unique financial zone and in our nationwide territory.)
The Philippines sued China earlier than a global arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. The courtroom dominated in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China’s nine-dash declare over the South China Sea.
China, nevertheless, rejected the Philippines’ name to adjust to the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the choice “illegal and invalid.” —KBK, GMA Integrated News
