House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House of Representatives has adopted on Wednesday night, Dec. 6 a resolution condemning China's "illegal actions" in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

Adopted during plenary session was House Resolution (HR) No. 1494, which also urged the government to uphold and defend the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

"The House is committed to do everything in its power to protect our rights in the WPS. We fully support our troops and our coast guard patrolling our exclusive economic zone against China's vessels that turn away our fishermen with a legal right to fish in the WPS," Speaker Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives, said in a statement Thursday morning, Dec. 7. 

"We also commit to enhancing our defense posture in the WPS through legislation and by exercising Congress's power of the purse. He added that they will have whatever support our Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Navy (PN) needs," Romualdez added. 

The adopted resolution was a consolidation of six individual resolutions of the same topic: HR Nos. 781, 823, 1169, 1201, 1204, and 1293. 

It referred to the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling, which upheld Philippine rights over the WPS as spelled out by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Unfortunately, China continues its illegal activities in the area even if the PCA already ruled that there is "no legal basis" for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line. 

"In clear violation of the Arbitral Award, China has built artificial islands in various parts of the West Philippine Sea fortified with airstrips, military installations, hardware, and equipment and has militarized at least three of those artificial islands, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets," the resolution read. 

The Philippines, it continued, "being a firm believer and advocate of the Rule of Law, and despite the continued harassment of China, has resorted to diplomatic tools to address Chinese aggression, including the filing of over 400 diplomatic protests against the latter". 

"Such illegal activities include (a) harassment, shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuvers, and radio challenges; (b) unilateral imposition of a fishing moratorium; (c) unauthorized conduct of Marine Scientific Research activities; (d) incessant and unlawful restriction of Filipino fishermen from conducting legitimate fishing activities in Bajo de Masinloc; and (e) harassment of Philippine boats in Ayungin Shoal," the resolution stated. 

It added: "China's actions against the Philippines' routine and regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal has become more dangerous, which include: (a) using military-grade laser lights at the PCG … (b) using water cannons toward Philippine resupply ships … and (c) the blocking of a RORE mission …" 

Despite such harassment from China, Philippines should continue to assert and fight for its rights in the WPS "and uphold and implement its hard-earned victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, the Netherlands", the resolution said. 

"The Philippine government must strengthen its ability to patrol and protect the country's maritime zones by building a self-reliant defense posture program and upgrading the capabilities of the PCG," it further said.