Alejano: China, not PHL, creating friction over South China Sea

Somebody has been instigating infighting over the South China Sea, and it is no other than China.

Opposition lawmaker and Magdalo party-list representative Gary Alejano made the remark in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte's comments that China “is already in possession” of the South China Sea and as such, countries like the Philippines should not create anymore “friction.”

“If there is anyone who is creating friction in the region, it is China. China’s unfounded territorial claim on almost the entire South China Sea is a global threat,” Alejano, a former Marine, said in a statement.

Alejano was referring to China's nine-dash line theory which claims the entire South China Sea, including the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of other claimant countries, including the Philippines.

The Philippines calls its EEZ in the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.

“This (attitude of China) is why international dialogues and [related] activities, such as military drills in the region, are encouraged as a way to temper military aggression and imperialist attitudes of each other,” Alejano pointed out.

The Philippines has sued China before the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013 because of China's repeated aggression against Filipino fishermen and Beijing's incursions by conducting reclamation activities within the Philippines' EEZ.

The UN Court based in the Hague rejected China's nine-dash line claim in July 2016 and ruled that the Spratly Islands, as well as the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank are all within the EEZ of the Philippines.

Alejano then warned Duterte against hoisting a defeatist stance amid China's aggression because that would only prompt Beijing to walk over the Filipinos and usurp the country's right to its EEZ.

“China is indeed in the West Philippine Sea; forcibly taking and illegally occupying our islands and abusing Filipino fishermen and soldiers. Pero imbes na pagsuko at pananahimik, ang nais nating marinig sa Pangulo ay ang paglaban nito sa ating mga karapatan sa West Philipine Sea. Sa atin ang West Philippine Sea, at hindi dapat natin ito isuko,” Alejano said.

“The defeatist stance the Duterte administration has only emboldened China’s illegal actions. It has weakened our legal claims in the West Philippine Sea and has also compromised the security and peace of the whole Southeast Asian region. Isa itong katrayduran sa bayan at sa bawat Pilipino,” Alejano added.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which the Philippines is a member, has an existing Declaration of Conduct with China dating back to 2002, which provides that parties should “undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.”

The Asean-DOC, however, is a non-binding pact. — MDM, GMA News