By Junex Doronio

STRESSING THAT CHINA must abide by international law, the United States Embassy on Saturday expressed its support for the Philippines following another incident of China’s harassment of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea.

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros also urged the two “houses” of Congress to immediately pass the proposed higher budget for the agencies safeguarding the country’s security and sovereignty.

“The PRC’s actions are inconsistent with international law and follow a pattern of dangerous operational behavior in the South China Sea,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

On Friday, November 10, the Philippines lodged another diplomatic protest against China after the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) deployed water cannons during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal.

“This incident should push Congress to finally approve a higher budget for the intelligence funds for agencies that defend our territories. When our frontliners in the West Philippine Sea become stronger, so will our national security,” Hontiveros said.

The US Embassy also reiterated that the People’s Republic of China had no claim on Ayungin Shoal and must therefore respect all states’ freedom of navigation as guaranteed under international law.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

APPREHENSIVE THAT CHANGING the West Philippine Sea’s name to the Sea of Asia might weaken the environmental case that the Philippine government plans to file against China before an international tribunal, Senator Jinggoy Estrada has expressed preference to retain the name that reflects the country’s 2016 arbitral win in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

On the other hand, Senator Grace Poe isn’t so concerned with the name changing but stressed that what’s important is that it should not adversely affect the country’s maritime claims over the disputed waters.

The Philippine government plans to file an environmental case against China before an international tribunal over the damage caused by its activities to corals.

In a statement on Sunday, October 29, Estrada explained that the West Philippine Sea is “a geopolitical designation of our government, an alternative name to the parts of the South China Sea that are within the Philippines’ EEZ in which we have territorial and maritime claims in that region.”

“Ang katagang ito ay sumasalamin sa legal na pag-angkin natin sa teritoryong ito. The Hague-based UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled overwhelmingly in our favor in determining China’s claims as unlawful,” Estrada quipped.

He also pointed out that the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague recognized the Philippines’ sovereign and maritime rights over its waters and invalidated China’s nine-dash line.

For her part, Poe said the experts should be relied on to address the proposal on the nomenclature change.

“Any initiative must not diminish our territorial claims in the disputed sea. We must preserve our rights to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” she further said.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

AS TODAY’S POPULAR MEME “WALANG FOREVER,” China can be replaced as a trading partner as one of the “diskarte” (strategy) to retaliate against the bullying neighbor in connection with the issues in West Philippine Sea.

This idea was floated on Saturday by maritime expert Jay Batongbacal who said the Philippines could always have other trade partners aside from China.

“Marami rin tayong nakukuha sa China, in the same way marami rin silang nakukuha sa atin. Again, sa akin, dehado pa rin tayo kahit kumukuha sila sa atin, kumukuha sila ng raw materials, mga mines, agricultural products, tapos ang i-export nila sa atin ay mga finished products na,” Batongbacal said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo.

Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, also noted goods that the Philippines imports from China can be found in other countries.

Meanwhile, Liberal Party (LP) president Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman is toying with the idea of working with other countries on “calibrated” economic sanctions on China as a way to counter its bullying.

“We should implement calibrated economic sanctions against China, together with countries na masyadong marami na, like the G7 countries, like Australia, India, and the members of the European Union… These economic sanctions will fall hard on China sapagkat mayroon sila ngayong tinatawag na economic meltdown,” he said.

(ai/mnm)

US legislators from both sides of the aisle have come together to denounce the China Coast Guard (CCG) for its unlawful actions in the West Philippine Sea and its violations of international law.

The most recent incident occurred on October 22 when a CCG vessel collided with a boat under contract by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to deliver supplies to Filipino troops stationed in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) released a bipartisan statement in solidarity with the Philippines on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

The statement, which the US Embassy shared in Manila, reads: “We unequivocally support the Philippines and condemn the unlawful actions by the China Coast Guard (CCG) in the South China Sea.”

The statement was jointly issued by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (Republican-Texas), Gregory Meeks (Democrat-New York), along with Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Chairman Young Kim (Republican-California) and Ami Bera (Democrat-California).

They expressed their concern over the intentional collisions between CCG and Chinese maritime militia vessels with Philippine Coast Guard ships, which put Filipino crew members at risk and obstructed Philippine vessels’ access to their own exclusive economic zone. They emphasized that this incident was part of a broader pattern of aggressive and provocative actions by the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the Maritime Militia, and the China Coast Guard in the South China Sea, where they frequently intrude into the exclusive economic zones of other states.

The lawmakers further voiced their condemnation of Beijing’s maritime intimidation. They welcomed the Biden administration’s commitment to increasing joint patrols with the Philippines and other partners in the South China Sea. They also reaffirmed the United States’ commitment under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) filed a diplomatic protest against China in response to its coast guard’s recent “dangerous maneuvers” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

(Liezelle Soriano/ai/mnm)

Ni Liza Soriano

PINUNA ng mga senador ang paulit-ulit na pagtatangka ng Chinese maritime militia na harangin ang supply ships ng Pilipinas hanggang sa magkabanggaan ang mga ito sa West Philippine Sea.

Nasa loob ng territorial waters ang supply ships ng Pilipinas patungo sa BRP Sierra Madre sa West Philippine Sea nang muling mangyari ang panghaharang ng barko ng Tsina sa loob pa mismo ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas.

Sa magkakahiwalay na pahayag, sinabi ng mga senador na ang insidente ay nagpapakita sa patuloy na pagwawalang-bahala ng China sa internasyonal na batas.

Ito ay matapos ang “dangerous blocking maneuvers” ng Chinese Coast Guard vessel na naging sanhi ng pagbangga nito sa isang Philippine resupply boat.

“China has no right to drive away our troops from our waters. And they have even less right to harm and collide with the Filipino ship that is only doing its job in our own territory,” ayon kay Senadora Risa Hontiveros.

Nagpahayag din ng pagkabahala si Sen. Grace Poe na posibleng tumaas na tensyon sa rehiyon sa insidente.

“While an immediate diplomatic protest is anticipated, the recent incident calls for a serious rethinking of our strategies in dealing with these acts,” sabi ni Poe.

“As we firmly assert our rights in our waters, fortifying our relations with like-minded states must continue to thwart similar belligerent actions,” dagdag pa niya.

(ai/mnm)