'ANG TITIGAS NG ULO'

Senators slam continued presence of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef

Senators on Monday slammed the continued presence of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed outrage that the Chinese vessels have not left Julian Felipe Reef, which is part of the Philippine's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"Ang titigas ng ulo (How stubborn). The Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe reef should leave immediately. If they are fishing vessels as China claims, then they can't fish in our Exclusive Economic Zone without our consent. Misunderstanding nga ba o sadya na tayong niloloko?" she said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Saturday said that at least 44 Chinese vessels are still in Julian Felipe Reef.

The Chinese Embassy has denied the presence of militia vessels in the area, adding that some Chinese fishing vessels only took shelter recently near the reef "due to rough sea conditions."

Nevertheless, the Embassy maintained China's historical claim over the area—a claim that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands invalidated in 2016.

Hontiveros said China has long been using "civilian" vessels to pursue military activities in the EEZ. She noted that although the Chinese Communist Party is trying to be Asia's leader, it ended up being "Asia's biggest bully."

"Instead of uniting the region, it has united the region against it. How long can such a regime hold any sort of mandate to lead the region?" she said.

"We need to act now. We need to expel these 'fishing vessels' from our EEZ and dismantle all illegal structures on the reefs and features we claim. Every delay on our end is an opportunity for China to seize what is justly and rightfully ours," she added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon echoed Hontiveros' statement, saying that the continued presence of the Chinese vessels in the reef is tantamount to "maritime bullying."

He commended Lorenzana for telling the 44 remaining Chinese vessels to leave the area immediately.

"It is high time that the country as one nation stand up to China’s continued incursion in the West Philippine Sea. By all accounts, it is maritime bullying," he said.

"The Philippine government should pursue, and strongly and actively call for, the enforcement of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague," he added.

Senator Grace Poe also said the Philippine government should defend and preserve "every inch" of the Philippine territory.

"We must protect our fishermen’s right to livelihood in our seas. Clearly, they are among our most vulnerable population who brave the perils of the ocean just to put food on every Filipino’s table," she said.

"We must not allow our sovereignty to be trampled on and mocked. Our government must come on strong and true to defend and protect our EEZ. It is its sworn duty to stand up against all acts that are inimical to the highest interest of our country and people," she added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson likewise backed Lorenzana's call for the remaining Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef to leave.

He said, however, that while the arbitral ruling is permanent, "it is unenforceable." The situation is even made worse "when our country's leaders and foreign policy decision makers resort to acquiesce bordering on implied derogation of our sovereignty."

"The fact that we are a militarily weak country that cannot match China's military power should compel us to resort to establishing stronger alliances not only with other Asia-Pacific neighbors like Australia and Japan and the other ASEAN countries, but our long-standing western allies like the US and Europe," he said.

"Only through a clear message that the presence of 'balance of power' in the West Philippine Sea can help us in this regard," he added.

The Philippines has already filed a diplomatic protest against China over the presence of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has also demanded the withdrawal of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, saying its presence was a blatant infringement of the country's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.—AOL, GMA News