Senator Francis Tolentino on Sunday, September 10 dismissed what he described “deceptive chronologies” that the Philippines is being used as a “proxy war” tool by other nations against China.

Sen. Francis Tolentino (Senate PRIB Photo)

In an interview with GMA Super Radyo DZBB, Tolentino stressed that there is no way the Philippine government would allow itself to become a tool for conflict amid China’s continuing aggressive tactics against other Southeast Asian countries that have claims in the South China Sea. 

“Hindi po proxy war kasi hindi lang naman United States ang kaalyado natin dito eh. Kaalyado rin natin ang Japan, kaalyado natin ang Australia, kaalyado natin ang United Kingdom, kaalyado natin ang Europe (This is not a proxy war because it’s not only the United States who is our ally. Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), Europe, are also our allies),” Tolentino pointed out.

“Nabanggit ko rin in the recent weeks, lumantad ng (kaalyado) ang India. So halos lahat (I also mentioned this in recent weeks, India has also become an ally. So almost all),” said Tolentino.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has also rejected such “misleading narratives” that frame the disputes in the South China Sea as a strategic competition between two economic powers, primarily China and the US.

President Marcos made this position known during the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia last week

Tolentino noted that even other ASEAN neighbors like Vietnam, also assailed China’s recent release of its 10-dash line map. 

Other ASEAN neighbors like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei may became vocal too against the belligerence acts being shown by the Asian superpower, the senator noted.

Tolentino said the international community's outburst against China’s aggression only shows that “there is a need to abide by a treaty called ‘United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’ or UNCLOS,” and China is a signatory to that treaty.

“So hindi ito proxy war. Kasi kung proxy war ito, proxy war din tayo ng Japan. Proxy war din tayo ng UK. Proxy war din tayo ng Australia. Proxy war din tayo ng New Zealand (So this is not a proxy war. Because if it is, then we are in a proxy war with Japan, UK, Australia and even New Zealand),” he pointed out.