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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Gonzales: We'll maintain caution vs China over West Philippine Sea row

Gonzales: We'll maintain caution vs China over West Philippine Sea row

Published Feb 28, 2024 08:37 am

At A Glance

  • Deputy Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II explained that the Philippines will continue to maintain caution against China over its continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Gov’t urged to address China’s ‘overfishing, harassment’ in WPS(Philippine Coast Guard)

Deputy Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II explained that the Philippines will continue to maintain caution against China over its continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Gonzales, chairperson of the Special Committee on West Philippine Sea, stressed that his panel has strongly opposed actions that may trigger a war with China.

“Every time kami maghi-hearing ng ganyan, palaging…may mag a-advocate dyan at sasabihin ‘Hindi, padala tayo ng mga military ship,’ parang talagang gusto na makipag giyera,” the veteran lawmaker said in a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

(Every time we have a hearing about that, always...someone will advocate and say 'No, we should send military ships,' as if they really want to go to war.)

“[These are] things that our country is trying to avoid,” he said.

Gonzales stressed the need for diplomatic action, particularly diplomatic protests from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as a way to show that the country won't be silent on the issue.

“We have to show to the world that we are not relinquishing our claim kasi (because) for us to be silent…yung mga (those) countries who are supportive of our cause will also lose interest,” the solon remarked.

On Tuesday, the Philippine Navy confirmed that China had intentionally interfered with the communications signal of the country’s ships in the WPS.

This is the latest among a wide array of aggressive tactics that China has done in the disputed waters.

Gonzales noted that while these actions were the primary concern of his panel, it can only do so much.

“I don’t believe that we can even conduct an investigation in aide of legislation kasi (because)... who are you going to subpoena, to testify from the other side? Hindi naman pupunta yon dito (They won’t go here),” he explained, referring to China.

South Cotabato 2nd district Rep. Peter Miguel, meanwhile, labeled China as “bullies”, and put forward the need for diplomacy to take place.

“I just hope na magkaroon talaga ng diplomatic talk. Siguro yun ang pinakamaganda with this incursion, to me it’s bullying kasi panahon na ng diplomasya,” he pointed out.

(I just hope we can have a diplomatic talk. Maybe that's the best thing with this incursion, to me it's bullying because it's already the era of diplomacy.)

Related Tags

neptali boyet Gonzales II China West Philippine Sea diplomacy
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