Senators: China should also withdraw maritime militias to avoid escalation in West Philippine Sea

At least two senators on Wednesday urged China to pull out their navy and maritime vessels too in the West Philippine Sea to avoid escalating disputes in the area.

“We will, if they stop too!” Senate President Vicente Sotto III told GMA News Online when asked about Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement calling on the Philippine security forces to stop maritime exercises in the South China Sea.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise urged China to withdraw its ships from the West Philippine Sea.

“If China sincerely wants to avoid escalation, it should pull back her navy and maritime militia. China can’t even respect freedom of navigation on the high seas, and now she wants respect for her unfounded nine-dash line?” Hontiveros said.

She reiterated that Beijing is the one “disrespecting” the Philippine sovereignty, refuting Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin who said that China is enjoying ownership over Nansha Islands or Spratly Islands.

Hontiveros expressed “alarm” on Wenbin’s claim that Philippines is the one “complicating the situation and escalating disputes.”

She urged China to stop "contorting facts to suit her baseless claims."

“It seems that China is the one hallucinating. She must be the one living in an alternate reality,” she said. “In truth, it is China that has been harassing our fisherfolk, reclaiming land in territories she does not own, and even using war vessels to chase off Filipino civilians.” 

Hontiveros  reiterated that the Philippines has won the case before 2016 UN Permanent Court of Arbitration which ruled that Spratly Islands were within Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

The victory of the Philippines before the PCA was supported by many countries and organizations, she noted.

“If China truly wants respect, she should stop twisting and contesting the basic principles of international law. Just accept the hard truth: the West Philippine Sea belongs to us, not you,” Hontiveros said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan also said China is also “isolated” from the rest of the international community, saying it should “end its blatant and shameless disregard of International law.”

Senator Francis Tolentino likewise shared the sentiments of his colleagues, saying China’s latest statement is not just “offensive” but also a violation of the general principle of international law that a “State’s territorial integrity is inviolable.”

For Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, it is China that is destabilizing the region following the building of military outposts in the WPS and expanding its presence using militia vessels.

“The Philippine government should work with our allies and contain China’s growing military presence in the West Philippine Sea, encroaching on our exclusive economic zone. Furthermore, Philippine government should do more in protecting our fishermen in the area,” he said.

On the other hand, Senator Joel Villanueva said the presence of Philippine vessels in the area is a “peaceful exercise of our rights.”

“It is to check on our fishing grounds. It is not an advance party of a reclamation expedition. Our ships are going there in peace,” he said.

Senator Nancy Binay also pointed out that the Philippines is a peace-loving nation that seeks solution “beyond military realm” but it cannot allow any country to “diminish” its sovereignty.

“We are a peace-loving nation and have no hostile intent. Yet we cannot let the bullying continue by remaining scared and silent. We act with reason. It's time to say enough,” she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson suggested to review the Philippine government’s foreign policy with China after its latest statement on the WPS.

“More than being offensive, it is the ultimate insult to our national dignity. Maybe it is time to review our foreign policy with respect to our diplomatic relations with China,” he said.

‘Ridiculous’

At the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez appealed to China to pull out its vessels in the West Philippine Sea, saying Beijing should respect the Philippines' territorial rights in the region.

On China’s call for the Philippines to halt its maritime exercises, Rodriguez said in a statement: “That statement is ridiculous. That area is part of our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Law of the Sea and the ruling of the UN arbitral court.” 

“We have every right to patrol it, conduct drills there and explore it for its fishery and other natural resources. But they are the ones taking tons and tons of fishes and destroying the environment there,” he added.

According to Rodriguez, it is China that is complicating the situation in the resource-rich region. "They should leave the WPS. They are the interloper.” 

‘Send Coast Guard personnel’ 

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate urged the Duterte administration to send personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard to escort Filipino fishermen fishing in the region.

Zarate said this would avoid Chinese forces from harassing Filipino fisherfolk and taking their catch.

“We have to show China that we are serious in defending our people as well as our territory. Our officials should always assert our independence, instead of them acting as apologists for China, who apparently now treat the Philippines as her vassal state,” Zarate said in a separate statement.

“We are not saying that we declare war on China. But what we need is for President Duterte to stand up for our fisherfolks and our territory. We have already suggested in the past the increasing of patrols of our seas, among others,” he added.

Over the weekend, about eight capital ships of the PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources  (BFAR) conducted sovereignty patrols at the West Philippine Sea despite the presence of several Chinese ships.

More maritime drills will also be conducted at Batanes Group of Islands, Benham Rise, and the southern areas of the Philippines.

Latest reports showed that 14 Chinese militia vessels -- down from over 200 in March -- were still in the Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the Philippines' EEZ.

The Philippines has filed numerous diplomatic protests against China over the continued presence of its ships within the West Philippine Sea. — RSJ, GMA News