President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Malacañang photo)

Only President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should talk about international relations, particularly on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.

During a DWIZ radio interview Saturday, Aug. 13, Senator Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero said angry words should not be uttered to avoid the uncontrolled aggressions by China in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from getting out of control.

Escudero was referring to a news item quoting a general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the water cannoning by a big Chinese Coast Guard ship of a smaller Philippine resupply vessel could be considered an ‘’act of war".

‘’Panahon na magbigay kautusan si PBBM na ang pwede lang magsalita ay siya o ang DFA dahil pag nainterview ang sinumang heneral parehas na nabasa ko ay ‘act of war’ na yan (It is time for President Marcos to give the order that only he or the DFA should be only one to talk on international relations and not a general who said this is an ‘act of war’),’’ he said.

‘’Baka mainterpret na sa mga panahong ito walang gyera di dapat hinahayaan ang uniformed personnel sa international relations. Dapat mapayapa at di paggyera bilang foreign policy (Such words might be misinterpreted and uniformed personnel should not talk on international relations. There should be peace and not war as an instrument of foreign policy),’’ he explained.

Asked about the joint patrol with foreign allies that is being done by Indonesia and Malaysia in the South China Sea, Escudero said he favors it.

However, foreign allies should operate under a Philippine rules of engagement to avoid the military unit of the foreign power from declaring war when its forces are hit, he explained.

 ‘’Dapat maliwanag ang terms at rules of engagement (The terms or rules of engagement should be clear).. Ang objective wag palalain ang sitwasyon (The objective of the joint patrol is not to exacerbate the situation),’’ he added.  

Escudero also disagreed with the suggestion of  Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri that the Philippines boycott Chinese products.

He said that 33 percent of Philippine total global import comes from China and Philippine exports to China is only 17 percent.

On the other hand, China imports from the Philippines accounts for only one percent on its total imports or two percent of its exports.

"What country could export its goods to the Philippines to compensate for the loss of the 33 percent at probably better quality or cheaper? he asked.

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. (FFCCCI) warned that such an economic boycott does more harm than good.

Zubiri had said Filipino taxpayers are unwittingly funding China’s illegal incursions and harassment of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) with the Philippine government’s continued patronage of Chinese contractors in big-ticket public infrastructure projects all over the country.

With this, Zubiri has upped his earlier suggestion to boycott Chinese products and companies in the Philippines to include an exclusion of Chinese contractors in infrastructure projects funded by the Filipino people’s money.

Escudero said countries that fund big-ticket public infrastructure projects in the Philippines usually demand that their own companies undertake these projects based on a term of reference in loan agreements.