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)
