Imee Marcos urges Sara Duterte appointment as special envoy to China

Senator Imee Marcos on Friday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately assign a special envoy to China amid the ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), naming the President's daughter - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte - as the best choice for the post.

In a statement, Marcos, a known administration ally who backed Malacañang’s policy of avoiding confrontation with China, said that the appointment of Mayor Duterte was a “very Asian strategy that will lend a personal touch to bilateral talks and also ensure a frank discussion of developments with the President.”

“Diplomatic protests are certainly in order, but constant confrontation delays consensus and is really not the Asian way of solving disagreements,” argued the senator.

Marcos also recommended a “verbal ceasefire” between the two countries, adding that the government can take the bilateral and multi-stage negotiations to the next level.

“Besides agreements between member states, the whole ASEAN must also propel a joint Code of Conduct with China to its completion. It’s been almost 20 years since it was proposed and only general terms have so far been agreed [upon]. Let’s finish it ASAP!” Marcos said.

The senator further recommended the expansion of the policy in pursuing shared interests with other countries, citing the joint naval anti-terrorism force with Malaysia and Indonesia after the Marawi Siege.

“The emphasis of foreign policy is to pursue shared goals rather than just unilateral interests, if harmony is to be achieved,” Marcos ended.

On Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs has announced that it filed two new diplomatic protests against China after 160 Chinese vessels were spotted in Philippine waters.

The DFA said the presence of these vessels in the West Philippine Sea "blatantly [infringed] upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction."

The new diplomatic protests were in addition to the daily protests being filed by the DFA against the continuing presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef.

In August 2018, the ASEAN and China agreed to a single draft of the code of conduct or COC, with an agreement reached in November 2018 for both sides to finalize the document within three years, starting from 2019.

Manila earlier warned that Beijing's aggressive actions can undermine the negotiations for a code aimed at restraining hostile acts in the waters. — DVM, GMA News