Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday, April 25, renewed his call for the government to cancel its appeasement and accommodation policy on China, which, he said, is no longer listening to the pleas of the Philippine government to abide by international law on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.

Drilon noted China remains undeterred by the country’s filing of diplomatic protests and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s demand for them to leave the country’s sovereign territories.

He cited the continued incursion of around 160 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea and the growing COVID-19 cases in the country, which he said could have been prevented had the government immediately banned travelers from Wuhan, China, where the virus originated.

“What we see now are the fruits of the policy of appeasement and accommodation towards China,” Drilon said.

The minority leader urged the government to get the support of the ASEAN, particularly countries that have similar claims in the West Philippine Sea to strengthen the country’s stance on the issue.

“Bilateral talks with China on the maritime dispute does not work in the country’s favor,” he said. “Apart from protests, which I support, we should, as an objective, get the other nations to confront China including our allies—United States, Japan and Australia."

“We must unite against the unlawful Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea,” Drilon stressed.

He said it is President Duterte who should initiate the move to present a united front with other claimants in the disputed maritime area, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam to make China realize “that what it is doing is against international laws.”

Drilon added the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in favor of the Philippines is the basis of the government in rightfully and forcefully asserting the country’s claims in the WPS.

He also said any alleged “verbal fishing agreement,” which some sectors claim is the possible reason why Chinese vessels refuse to leave the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is “invalid” if it indeed exists.

If such agreement exists, the senator said the Filipino people and the Senate must be informed about the parameters of the agreement.

“To me, any verbal agreement is invalid. Any agreement between two nations, whether in the form of an executive agreement or a treaty must be in written form, otherwise, it cannot be enforced,” Drilon stressed.

“We are bound by Article XII, Sec. 2 paragraph 2 of the Constitution which says that ‘The State shall protect the nation's marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens’,” the former justice secretary explained.

“The Senate, as the President’s partner in foreign policy making, has to know what the agreement is, to determine whether or not it is consistent with the Constitution, or if it can be ratified,” he emphasized.