Lacson firm on stand to involve US in South China Sea dispute; Recto, Pangilinan back him

While respecting the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday stood by his stand that calling on the United States to help check China in the West Philippine Sea is proper.

Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senator Francis Pangilinan agree with Lacson.

Duterte said Thursday involving US in the dispute with China will only bring the Philippines closer to war. 

"I have to protect the interest of my country the life of the Filipino, 110 million. Bakit tawagin mo ang America? That will all the more bring us to the verge of war," he said.

Lacson said he just expressed his opinion because he believes it is right, but what matters now is the stand of the President.

“While my opinion is different from his, it doesn’t matter much which is right or wrong; it is who makes the decision,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

“In this case, obviously, he is the one. I express my opinion as I always do, when I think I am right, not when it’s popular. In some people’s minds, highly partisan as they are, that is lack of conviction.”

Lacson had earlier said that in dealing with the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea, country could invoke the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty, an agreement that was signed in 1951 and one that has US officials calling the country "a treaty ally.”

He said maintaining the balance of power in the West Philippine Sea will prevent rather that ignite war as no two superpowers would go to war in this day and age of nuclear technology for the simple reason of “zero-sum” outcome.

For his part, Recto said he does not  think involving the US would be tempting war with China. “A multilateral diplomatic approach is good for the Philippines,” he said in a separate text message.

Pangilinan said the talk of war is unfounded noting that Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam all have asserted sovereignty in the disputed waters repeatedly and yet no war has been declared.

“To say that asserting our legitimate claim over our exclusive economic zone will lead to war is meant to justify our subservience and docility. This is unacceptable. Mabuti pa ang Indonesia at Vietnam ipinaglalaban ang mga mangingisda nila,” he said. —KBK, GMA News