Hontiveros backs filing of diplomatic protest over presence of Chinese militia in Julian Felipe Reef

Senator Risa Hontiveros supports the filing of diplomatic protests against China after 220 of its militia vessels were sighted moored at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, Hontiveros expressed her objections to the presence of Chinese militia vessels in the West Philippines Sea, saying it is a "severe provocation" that would only escalate tensions in the disputed waters.

“Habang nagkakandarapa pa tayo sa pagtaas ng mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa, ang Tsina naman walang pakundangan ang pagsulong sa ating karagatan," she said.

(While we still haven't recovered from the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country, China is being aggressive in its incursions in our seas.]

"Not aggravating the tensions in our seas is the absolute least China could have done in the middle of a global pandemic. Respeto nalang sana, hindi pa maipakita [They can't even show respect],” she added.

On Saturday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said it received a confirmed report from the Philippine Coast Guard that around 220 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be manned by the Chinese maritime militia, were sighted moored in line formation at the Julian Felipe Reef on March 7, 2021.

The reef is a large boomerang shaped shallow coral reef at the northeast of Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs (Union Reefs), located approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.

It is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf, over which the country enjoys the exclusive right to exploit or conserve any resources which encompass both living resources, such as fish, and non-living resources such as oil and natural gas.

"Despite clear weather at the time, the Chinese vessels massed at the reef showed no actual fishing activities and had their full white lights turned on during night time," the Task Force said in a statement.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Sunday that the Philippines has already filed a diplomatic protest over the matter.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Sunday appealed to China to pull out the 220 boats manned by Chinese militia from the West Philippine Sea, saying the deployment breaches the country's maritime rights and sovereignty.

Hontiveros has been vocal about Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea. She said the presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed territories does not build peace or stability in the region.

The senator added that the presence of the vessels in Julian Felipe Reef may also further damage the natural resources found in the area.

"We have exclusive rights over the resources — fish, oil, and natural gas — in Julian Felipe Reef," she said.

"It’s maddening how China continues to snatch away our nation’s wealth while we’re in the depths of an economic crisis," she added.

Hontiveros earlier called on the Chinese government to pay reparations for the value of wealth and marine life destroyed in the disputed waters as she revealed that China already owes the Philippines more than P800 billion over the destruction of the country's natural resources amid continued exploration in the West Philippine Sea. —KG, GMA News