Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (House of Representatives’ Facebook)

Let it be heard around the world.

This was the call of Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers as he urged Filipinos to unite in condemning China’s continued aggression and harassment inside the country and the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Barbers’ appeal comes after the surge in propaganda which he claims to only parrot the deceptive narrative of China.

He specifically advised Filipinos not to believe the circulating threat on social media that China would wage war against the Philippines because of the latter’s partnership with its western allies.

“As a matter of fact, we achieved quite the opposite. We are now benefitting from the alliance as we have received modern defense equipment, training and protection,” Barbers said in his privilege speech before the House plenary on Monday, Dec. 16.

“This is the propaganda line of the Makabagong Makapili,” he noted, referring to the supposed traitors in the form of vloggers and trolls who are funded by China.

Barbers, the lead chairman of the House quad-committee (quad-comm), refuted the claim that there needs to be a dialogue between China and the Philippines to peacefully resolve the dispute in the WPS.

He pointed out that the Asian giant already set a pre-condition to disregard the United Nations Conventions on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) and The Hague-based International Arbitral Tribunal rulings—which favors the Philippines’ claims to the WPS—before they sit on a dialogue.  

“Sinabi pa nga nila kaya South China Sea ang tawag duon ay patunay na pag-aari nila yun. Nakakatawa sapagkat mga Portuguese ang nagtawag dito na South China Sea, na nuo’y tinatawag na Champa Sea, named after the Austronesian Kingdom of Central Vietnam,” said Barbers.

(They even said that the reason why it was called South China Sea was proof that it belongs to them. It's funny because the Portuguese called it South China Sea, which was previously called Champa Sea, named after the Austronesian Kingdom of Central Vietnam.)

“This, despite the ‘clear as the morning sun’ ruling of UNCLOS and IAT that China’s claim of historic rights to resources in areas falling within its invisible demarcation line [in the WPS] ‘had no basis in law and is without legal effect’,” he explained.

The veteran lawmaker argued that if China wants the international community to respect their “no legal basis territorial lines”, it should stop committing hostile acts against Filipino sailors and fishermen, creep inside the country’s territorial waters, and militarize the WPS. 

He recalled that when the government enacted  Republic Act (RA) Nos. 12064 and 12065—two laws governing rights inside the country’s maritime zones—Chinese officials summoned the Philippine Ambassador in Beijing and demanded the repeal of said laws.

“Aba, eh hindi lang pala West Philippine Sea ang gusto nila, pati pala gobyerno ay gusto nila na kanila na din,” he said.

(They don't just want the West Philippine Sea, they also want our government to be theirs.)

However, aside from the disputed WPS, Barbers said China is also engaged in the “creeping invasion” of the Philippines.

He said this is through allowing the migration of thousands of workers in the now-outlawed Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and other criminal elements involved in murder, torture, kidnapping, cybercrimes, and illegal drugs. 

“They also include Chinese drug suspects involved in money laundering, who acquired fake Filipino identities, created inter-locking purely Chinese-owned companies, and illegally bought thousands of hectares of lands,” the congressman recalled.

“Ang ating otoridad ay may nahuli rin na mga Intsik na hinihinalang mga sundalo dahil sa nasabat nilang uniporme sa kanilang mga inuupahang apartments, gusali,” he continued.

(Our authorities have also caught some Chinese who were suspected of being soldiers because they had uniforms in their rented apartments, buildings.)