Pimentel, Poe warn vs. filing another case against Beijing on WPS

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senator Grace Poe warned against the filing of another case versus China before international courts to assert the country's sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

“Let us not relitigate what we already won. When we file something, we are giving actually the other side a chance to bring up their planned original argument—which they did not bring up because they boycotted the proceedings," Pimentel said in an ANC interview on Thursday.

"If we get a negative result here, although it may be on another matter, it can be spinned to mean that it is a reversal of the 2016 Arbitral Ruling,” he added. 

“If our position is that the 2016 arbitral ruling is already final and executory, let us be careful in calling for a filing of anything which can be misconstrued or misinterpreted intentionally as a relitigation of the issues which we have already won,” explained Pimentel.

For Pimentel, the better course of action is to assert the 2016 arbitral ruling which the Philippines had already won.

“Hawak na natin yon eh. Let’s pound on it. Let’s be proud that the Philippines has played a role in the enrichment of the international maritime law. Tayo lang yata ang unang nagkaso ng ganitong klase eh,” Pimentel said.

“Sabi ng decision that the ‘nine-dash line,’ historic rights has no application under [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]. So, all of these things dapat we should pound on that ruling which is in our favor. Do not risk that anymore,” he added.

Reopening the case

Senator Grace Poe also echoed the same warning and expressed the same concerns.

“If we file again, baka mamaya mag-iba pa ang ruling,” Poe said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Wednesday.

“Usually, the ones that reopen the case are the ones that lose. Eh panalo na tayo dun. So, maybe we should just keep filing diplomatic protests and also ask like minded countries and allies to support us,” she added.

Jardeleza

On the seventh anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling which upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and invalidated China’s so-called “nine-dash line,” former Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza suggested filing another arbitration case to assert the country’s sovereign rights in the WPS.

Jardeleza is among the key figures who brought up the territorial dispute with China before the PCA in the Hague, Netherlands.

“Ang mungkahi ko ay magawan natin ng isa pang kaso. Kung baka ika nga follow-up case na kunyari kasi malaki na ang panalo natin, malaki na ang sinabi ng UN Tribunal na hindi dapat lumayag sa mga seas natin ang China,” he told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview on Monday, July 17.

(I am proposing to file another case. I’m just thinking a follow-up case. Because we already won big, the UN tribunal saying that China should stay out of our seas. It is already a big deal.)

According to Jardeleza, he has talked about his proposal to the Office of the Solicitor General and some lawmakers and senators.

“Lahat naman ito mungkahi lang kasi isipin natin ultimately, this is a matter of foreign affairs. Ultimately ang magdedesisyon dito ay ang Pangulo, ang Pangulong [Bongbong] Marcos,” he said.

(These are all proposals because ultimately, this is a matter of foreign affairs. Ultimately, the one who will decide on this is the President, President Marcos.)

PH-US ties

Meanwhile, Pimentel also expressed concern about the Marcos administration’s pivot to the United States amid the ongoing tension in the region.

“I’m worried. I think this administration is identifying itself too much in the camp of the United States,” Pimentel said.

“We’re still in Asia, we will never leave Asia. 10 million years from now, China would still be our neighbor, so we have to find a way to balance everything. Let us be neutral,” he added.

He also recalled Marcos saying that his foreign policy will be "a friend to all and enemy to none."

“Of course, we will stand up for Philippine interests but we will not unnecessarily provoke any nation or any country, especially a giant neighbor. So that’s what we do, we have to balance,” he added.

Pimentel also appealed to the United States to also strengthen its ties with the Philippines through trade and economy and not only on military partnerships.

“The US should help us with our economy, with our trade, with our goods. Help us. Teach us how you made your lands more productive, share the secrets with us. Let that be our relationship with the United States. Hindi po parati na lang warships will be sold to you, defense system willl be sold to you. Let it be tractors, etcetera,” he added. —with Joahna Lei Casilao/VAL/KBK, GMA Integrated News