Gatchalian: Duterte in unison with DND, DFA stand on West Philippine Sea

For Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, President Rodrigo Duterte’s words are in unison with the statements of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of National Defense (DND) on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Gatchalian explained his point of view on the issue on Wednesday in a CNN interview, saying Duterte’s stand on the WPS as delivered before the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020 was translated into actions.

Duterte’s stand was echoed in the statements of the President’s alter-egos—DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, he added.

“Obviously, the President and his team, I call it 'team' because they're acting in unison in my analysis. They may come up in different degree, but in my opinion and analysis, there is a certain direction in their actions, and one of the most compelling with the President is when he addressed the UN General Assembly last year wherein he said that arbitral ruling cannot be diminished,” Gatchalian said.

Lorenzana has called on China to stop conducting illegal activities in the WPS and respect the country's sovereignty.

Locsin issued strong remarks telling China to get out of Philippine waters.

“No government, even after his administration can diminish the value of the arbitral ruling. So in other words, the President recognizes this, and the President recognizes the importance of the arbitral award,” he added.

In his previous public address, Duterte said the Philippines' arbitral victory in 2016 against China's massive claims in the West Philippine Sea before the United Nations is just paper fit to be thrown in the trash.

Duterte also repeatedly claimed that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea.

Although he said Duterte’s mind is very difficult to predict, Gatchalian said the actions and statements of the DFA and DND chiefs are “very loud and clear for our exclusive economic zone.”

“These are the most trusted people of the President. So in other words, we are asserting our rights in that exclusive economic zone, and it's very clear to me that the country's asserting our arbitral award,” Gatchalian further argued.

Moreover, the lawmaker said it is very important for the Philippines to assert its rights and jurisdiction over the area as it has rich oil and gas resources that can sustain the country’s economy for the next 700 years.

“There are things that we can improve, definitely. There are things that we can improve in terms of asserting, in terms of exerting, but that's a matter of strategy,” Gatchalian said.

On Tuesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Duterte’s statements on the WPS “diminishes” the efforts made by the DFA and the DND in demanding the withdrawal of Chinese vessels in the area.

He added that distinguishing Duterte’s jokes from his official statements on the West Philippine Sea is a very big problem in Filipinos’ hands. —KG, GMA News