Opposition senators criticize China over latest West Philippine Sea statement

Two opposition senators hit China over its latest remark on the the West Philippine Sea in which it called on Philippine security forces to stop its maritime exercises as it would "escalate disputes" in the area.

In a statement, Senator Francis Pangilinan said the Philippines will conduct activities in the WPS with liberty, reminding China and other foreign nations that Philippine history has proven that Filipinos have fought for the country's sovereignty.

“We will do freely what we deem necessary in our sovereign waters, and China or any other foreign nation for that matter has no business telling us what to do inside our sovereign waters and exclusive economic zone,” Pangilinan said.

“Our history as a people is marked by our valiant struggles against Spanish, American, and Japanese occupying forces in defense of our Motherland. We fought for our sovereignty, then, we most certainly will refuse to surrender any of it now,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Leila de Lima said it is China that should leave the area as its forces are the ones who bully the Filipinos and the ones who infringe the Philippine sovereignty.

She then slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for remaining mum on the issue of China’s reclamation in the WPS.

“China continues to bully us but Duterte, being China’s famous lackey, remains unperturbed. Whatever happened to his promise to defend our sovereignty with his life? Yet again, broken and unfulfilled,” she said.

“Duwag na, pro-China pa,” De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte, said.

(He is a coward and pro-China.)

De Lima also hit back at Duterte for blaming the previous administration on the current situation in the WPS.

“Siya na nga itong walang ginawa kundi ang magpakaduwag sa China sa halos limang taon niyang panunungkulan, siya pa itong may kapal ng mukhang sisihin ang nakaraang administrasyon sa kawalang aksyon sa pagkamkam sa ating teritoryo,” she said.

Duterte on Wednesday night blamed the previous administration and its officials for losing the shoal, specifically former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

In a press conference on April 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated China's claims over the Spratly Islands, which they called the Nansha Islands, despite the 2016 UN Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that said the islands were within the Philippines' EEZ.

China does not recognize the arbitral court ruling.

"We urge the relevant side to respect China's sovereignty and rights and interests, and stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes," Wenbin added.

Other senators also slammed China over its latest remark on the WPS, saying the statement was offensive and insulting. — DVM, GMA News