VILLANUEVA FILES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING CHINA’S AGGRESSION IN WPS

MANILA – Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva filed a resolution on Monday ( 01 April 2024) strongly condemning China’s unprovoked aggression, continued harassment, and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In Senate Resolution No. 980, Villanueva stated that China’s actions violate the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling and pose a threat to Filipinos, Philippine national security, and marine resources.

“The acts of aggression by China, along with their response, demonstrate a consistent pattern despite the PCA Award and the UNCLOS provisions. The People’s Republic of China has persistently ignored the PCA Award and dismissed the Philippines’ claims of harassment and intimidation,” he said.

On March 23, the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported that the Chinese Coast Guard harassed and used water cannons against a wooden resupply boat en route to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, resulting in injuries to its crew members.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also reported that a group of Filipino scientists near Pag-asa Island was harassed on the same day by a Chinese helicopter hovering closely above them.

“China’s actions and response to the recent incident in the West Philippine Sea are concerning, especially in light of the agreements between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023 and the discussions during the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea in January 2024, where both sides agreed to address incidents calmly through diplomacy and to avoid escalating tensions in the Ayungin Shoal,” Villanueva said.

He noted that while President Marcos had directed concerned agencies to implement a “response and countermeasure package,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and other agencies should exhaust all legal and diplomatic means to halt China’s aggression and safeguard Philippine sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros insisted that BRP Sierra Madre should remain in Ayungin Shoal, following revelations of a supposed “gentleman’s agreement” between former president Rodrigo Duterte and China to maintain the status quo in the WPS.

“The BRP Sierra Madre should remain in Ayungin. Our troops have been risking their lives to guard that ship. We should not overlook their hardships and sacrifices,” Hontiveros said.

“More importantly, the current chief executive (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) has revoked any concessions made to China,” she added.

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a recent interview, clarified that Duterte’s gentlemen’s agreement with China called for the Philippines to refrain from constructions and installations in the WPS, but emphasized that it was verbal and should not apply under the administration of President Marcos.

Hontiveros criticized Duterte for prioritizing his relationship with China over Philippine national interests.

“Duterte also failed to give our 2016 Arbitral Award the respect and reverence it deserved,” she said.

Reason, not emotion, should prevail

Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos emphasized on Monday that the country should engage in proper talks with China and other claimants in the WPS through “reason rather than emotion.”

In a statement, the senator urged the government to encourage its citizens to “choose the path of peace and understanding.”

“We must remain resilient in the face of this challenge, but it is crucial that calm thinking, measured speech, and calculated decisions prevail,” she said.

“It begins with constructive dialogue with China and other claimant nations regarding islands and other features in the West Philippine Sea,” she added.

Marcos warned that if emotional approaches persist, the country could be led “down a dangerous path that will cost us more than just Filipino pride.”

“To prevent another regional conflict, we need solutions for peace from those who claim to be our genuine allies. Declarations of support for a rules-based international order ring hollow when UNCLOS ratification is ignored,” she said.

(el Amigo/MNM)