Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged the Department of National Defense (DND) Monday not to be swayed by China’s perceived kindness while it continues to stake its claim on the West Philippine Sea.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Hontiveros made the call following China’s recent approval of a law that allows its Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels and demolish other countries’ structures that are on Chinese-claimed reefs.
“We must not allow China to shake our hand on vaccine procurement, but stab us in the back on the West Philippine Sea,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Hindi nakakatuwa na sa gitna ng pandemya ay nagpasa sila ng ganitong batas. Habang nilalako ng China ang mga bakuna nila bilang ‘global public good’ umano, ibinabasura naman nila ang natitirang kapayapaan sa WPS (It’s sad that they passed this kind of law while in the midst of a pandemic. While China is peddling its vaccines supposedly for ‘global public good,’ they are throwing away any chance of peace in the West Philippine Sea),” she lamented.
Hontiveros warned the government that China may be using its “vaccine diplomacy” to advance its national interest, especially with regard to the contested waters in the WPS.
“Paano natin ngayon masisigurado na ang mga bakunang bibilhin at ibibigay ng Tsina ay walang halong kapalit? (How can we be sure that China would not be asking something in exchange for the vaccines that we are going to buy and the ones they will donate?)” she pointed out.
The senator said the DND should be prepared for this latest development, as China shores up influence in the region.
“The DND already needs to have a strategy for when worse comes to worst. Ibig sabihin ba ng bagong batas ng Tsina, the next time na gusto nilang ilubog ang fishing vessel natin, o iwan ang mangingisda natin sa dagat, hindi lang nila sasagasaan, babarilin nalang? (With this new law that China passed, does this mean that next time they want to destroy our fishing vessel or leave our fishermen in the seas, they will not just push them over, but just fire on them?)” she said.
“China should ease tensions in the WPS, not escalate them,” she added.
Hontiveros called on the government to ensure that the Philippines will continue to follow an independent foreign policy.
“Dapat walang special relationship sa kahit anong bansa, lalo na sa Tsina sa ngayon – maging sa usapin ng West Philippine Sea man o sa bakuna (There should be no special relationship with any other country, especially with China as of now – whether on the issue regarding the West Philippine Sea or the vaccines),” the lawmaker stressed.