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Drilon: Megaphone diplomacy needed vs. China gunboat policy
By HANA BORDEY,GMA NewsSenate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Wednesday that the Philippines need to press on with a “megaphone diplomacy" to counter China’s “gunboat foreign policy."
“I would rather that we continue with the megaphone diplomacy because of the gunboat diplomacy of China. We could not confront them. We are not strong militarily and we are lacking compared to China," Drilon said an ANC interview.
"The only available peaceful means to us is to keep this issue in the forefront, in the front burner,” he pointed out.
Further, he said, the government must continue “exposing China’s illegal acts” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) ... in order to keep China on its toes, as the Asia powerhouse keeps on confronting the Philippines with armed might.
“What is left to us [as an option] is to keep on reminding the world that China is not following the rule of law but rule of might in this part of the world,” Drilon added.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry responded to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s strong remarks on Twitter, saying “megaphone diplomacy can only undermine mutual trust rather than change reality.”
Locsin said his tweet was not a “megaphone” diplomacy but an “outburst of temper under repeated provocations
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Drilon also viewed Locsin’s tweet as “frustration” as the Philippines cannot do anything against China but to file diplomatic protests.
“It is because of this frustration but I bet you, the statements of Sec. Locsin and Sec. (Delfin) Lorenzana will reflect the sentiment of the majority of our people. We are all frustrated on what China was doing,” the lawmaker said.
Furthermore, Drilon said China is not taking the Philippines seriously given their “military and economic might.”
“Therefore, they know that they can almost dictate on the policy on the West Philippine Sea because of their economic and military strengths.”
“And that is why I am saying that maybe the only recourse left to us is the megaphone diplomacy in order to keep this issue alive in the world forum otherwise if you just keep quiet, wala na mangyayari sa atin (nothing will happen to us),” he added.
Drilon, along with 10 senators, have filed a resolution "strongly condemning" the illegal activities of China in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EZZ) in the WPS.
The adoption of this resolution will deliver the sentiment of the Senate which is the “partner” of President Rodrigo Duterte in terms of foreign policy, Drilon said. —LBG, GMA News