Muntinlupa City Representative Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon on Wednesday, April 14, urged the government to continue its maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) despite the refusal of Chinese militia vessels to leave the country’s territorial waters.
Biazon said that while it was a good move on the part of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to summon Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian and taking him to task on the escalating tensions in the area, the government must pursue all means of protecting its own territory in accordance to what the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) provides.
“Beyond that I think the country should pursue and proceed with maritime patrols in the area,” Biazon said in an interview over ANC Headstart.
Biazon, vice chairman of the House Committee on National Defense, pointed out that even though the Chinese Navy challenged them, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) plane was able to conduct maritime patrols over the Julian Felipe Reef where the Chinese vessels refused to leave.
“As we have experienced recently, the PAF plane conducted maritime patrols and it was even challenged by the Chinese. And the Air force claimed that the PAF plane asserted its right to conduct patrols. And so I think we should be continuing to do that,” he also said.
“This is to back up the statement of our Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana when he basically told the Chinese to get out. Those words should be backed up not just by diplomatic action but I think in exercise of our rights in ensuring that the EEZ (exclusive economic zone) of the Philippines is protected and asserted,” he stressed.
The lawmaker likewise said he sees the necessity for the Philippines to finally engage its long-time allies and possibly forge new alliances to solidify its sovereign rights on the WPS particularly over its EEZ.
“We have the international community that is sympathetic to our cause,” he pointed out.
“The first steps we should be taking is to make up for the imbalance of military power between China and the Philippines. Obviously, militarily, if you compare the two, the Philippines is way behind. But we have the international community on our side. So both on the legal front, together with the DFA, and the military front, the DND, I think we can be backed up by allies in the international community,” Biazon stressed.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, in a separate statement, lauded the DFA for stressing the country’s 2016 victory at the Hague and for making it clear to the Chinese ambassador that China’s sweeping territorial claims are without legal basis.
“The Chinese Embassy’s recent statements have often been flagrant lies. It denied the presence of maritime militia in Julian Felipe Reef, saying that fishing vessels were just taking shelter due to the bad weather. It claimed that Julian Felipe Reef is part of China’s Nansha Qundao, a name it gave our Spratly Islands,” Hontiveros lamented.
“Beyond these lies, however, the Chinese Embassy arrogantly and shamelessly sought to paint the Philippines as irrational and unreasonable,” she further said.
Hontiveros also said that instead of acknowledging the mere presence of its ships or at least recognizing the Philippines’ concerns as valid, it went on to bend the truth and even went so far as to demean the country’s own officials.
“These acts of wanton disrespect have no place in our country. I can only hope that the Chinese Ambassador left that conversation with a fuller understanding of the Philippines’ point of view and a broader appreciation of our country’s pride and dignity,” Hontiveros said.