President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate)

Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores can't help but be impressed by President Marcos' restraint when it comes to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue, where the country has typically been on the receiving end of China's aggressive actions. 

"On a personal note, parang sa akin (for me), if someone spits at us, we cannot just pretend that it's raining," Flores said during a press conference Tuesday, May 7. 

"But the President is, our chief person in terms of international policy and that is the policy that he wants to pursue, and we support it and I think it’s also the right policy," said the chairman of the House Committee on Government Reorganization. 

The policy that Flores was referring to was Marcos' choice of "dialogue and diplomacy over water cannons". 

"Bilib din ako sa Presidente natin that he can, parang tolerate na binobomba na iyong mga tao niya and still not respond." said the lawmaker from Mindanao. 

(I'm impressed that the President can tolerate his people getting blasted with water cannons and still not respond.) 

For months now, Philippine boats on resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal have had to contend with harassment from China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels. Their tactics have included the simple blocking of the supply boats to firing high-pressure water cannons at them. 

"China on the other hand believes that might makes right pa rin, iyong policy nila (that's their policy) 

"But for us we always believe that the community of nations will no longer tolerate something like that, that’s why we’re getting all the support from foreign countries," Flores said.