Robredo: Philippines should team up with neighboring states to stand up vs. China's aggression

Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday said the Philippine government, using the 2016 arbitral ruling, should “team up” with neighboring countries to stand up against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“One of the things that we could have done since 2016 was to use the decision to team up with all other neighboring countries who are going through the same struggles, to use the ruling to be able to have a stronger position,” Robredo said in an ANC interview.

Robredo said this is one of the “opportunities” that the Philippine government has not maximized and taken advantage of.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands ruled in favor of the Philippines in its claim on the West Philippine Sea against China. It declared China’s claim as illegal and has no basis under international law. Beijing has ignored the ruling

In the ANC interview, Robredo acknowledged the latest “strong” statement from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, which demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 44 remaining Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef. The call was backed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“My source of comfort now is the strong statement released by Secretary Lorenzana and the DFA because to me they were fighting for us,” she said.

Robredo also said she finds it "very heartbreaking" that Filipino fishermen were being harassed by Chinese authorities within Philippine territory.

"'Yong takot na dinadala ng mga mangingisda natin every day of their lives when this is an area where they have every right to fish. Tapos, itataboy sila ng gano'n. Parang nakakaano siya, very heartbreaking," she said.

[The fear that our fishermen feel even though they have all the right to fish there. Then they would be driven out. That's very heartbreaking.]

On Thursday, DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the Philippines will not stop filing diplomatic protests against China unless all Chinese vessels leave Julian Felipe Reef, which is located in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA has initially filed a diplomatic protest over the presence of at least 220 Chinese vessels near Julian Felipe Reef. The number of Chinese vessels eventually dwindled to 44.

Julian Felipe Reef, called Niu'e Jiao by the Chinese, is a boomerang-shaped feature located 175 nautical miles off Bataraza, Palawan. —KBK, GMA News