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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senators hold closed door meeting on new China Coast Guard Law, other WPS issues

Senators hold closed door meeting on new China Coast Guard Law, other WPS issues

Published Feb 4, 2021 06:23 pm

The Senate foreign relations committee and other committees held Thursday a public hearing on the new China Coast Guard Law and other Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)

But because of the sensitive nature of the issues involved, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, committee chairman, decided to hold a closed door session.     

Nobody objected.

Joining  the executive session  were Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and other ranking DFA officials.

Also in the closed door meeting are officials of the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and National Coast Watch Center.

The Senate hearing was spurred by a privilege speech of Senator Francis Tolentino who expressed alarm over the new China Coast Guard Law that allows its Coast Guard to use arms if there are interlopers in their claimed territories which are almost all of the South China Sea.

Tolentino said this might cause danger to Filipino fishermen who fish as far as the WPS and also commercial vessels that would ply the route. 

Also taken up by the Pimentel committee is the resolution of Senator Risa Hontiveros that calls on the Executive Branch to exert all legal and diplomatic pressures on the Chinese government to stop all destructive activities in the WPS. 

Under the rules of the Senate, what happens inside the closed door meeting are not to be publicized. Any senator who violates this rule will be ousted as a member of the 24-member Senate.

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