The Senate has unanimously approved the resolution strongly condemning the continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and the persistent incursions in the West Philippine Sea by the Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels.
Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Senate PRIB Photo)
Senate Resolution No. 718 also urges the Philippine government to take appropriate action in asserting and securing the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.
The measure is a consolidation of Senate Resolution Nos. 659 and 707 filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri.
The same resolution also calls on China to stop its illegal activities in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
“We came out with strong consensus yesterday (Monday, July 31) after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) chief of staff General (Romeo) Brawner and DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Enrique) Manalo, and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed,” Zubiri said following the Upper Chamber’s approval of the measure.
“We actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Sen. Risa (Hontiveros). I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of government,” he said.
The resolution also gave the Executive department several options to choose “on how to deal with our neighbors in the North.”
“And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous,” he pointed out.
“So we thank our dear colleagues that with these options, we stand by each other and by our country. Regardless of political color, regardless of where we come from politically, we are together when it comes po to the sovereignty of our country. And I am very proud of this Senate for doing so,” Zubiri stressed.
Crossing party lines
Hontiveros said also thanked her colleagues for the concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of the national conversation, but for ensuring that the Philippine government will take the necessary steps to consolidate global support over the country’s historic 2016 Arbitral Award.
“This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission. In the face of relentless China propaganda since last week, we held our ground. Sa kabila ng mga fake news at kasinungalingan para mapigil ang pag-adopt (Even after all the fake news and the lies to stop this adoption), we stood firm,” she said.
“Isang napakahalagang tagumpay ito hindi lang ng Senado kundi ng buong Pilipinas (This is just not a victory of the Senate but of the whole Philippines). The Senate crossed party lines to stand unified for our country,” Hontiveros stressed.
Continue holding dialogues
In the resolution, senators said they expect the DFA to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines' sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS.
The Senate resolution also urges the DFA to bring international attention to China's harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague ruling should such efforts are continuously ignored by the Chinese government.
Furthermore, the senators also urge the government to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines' established rights in the WPS.
The resolution also urged the Executive department to engage like-minded countries in various international organizations, meetings, and other fora to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS.