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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider China must be held accountable for endangering Filipino lives, senators say

China must be held accountable for endangering Filipino lives, senators say

Published Jun 19, 2024 05:43 am

China should be held accountable for the numerous times it encroaches Philippine territory and endangering the lives of the Filipino people.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the recurrent and unauthorized entry of Chinese maritime forces into the Philippines' territorial waters.

Such dangerous actions, including the ramming and towing of Philippine vessels, destabilize our region, jeopardize the safety of our citizens, and undermine our sovereign rights,” Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said in a statement.

Ejercito lamented China acts like a bully by ignoring international maritime laws, including the UNCLOS, disregarding the Philippines’ victory in the 2016 Arbitral Award, and failing to respect the freedom of navigation in the region.

“Instead of engaging in fair and lawful conduct, China resorts to aggressive and underhanded tactics that escalate tensions in our seas, posing a direct threat to regional stability and international maritime norms,” he said.

“China must be held accountable for these trespasses and for endangering Filipino lives,” the senator added.

Ejercito said it is imperative for the government to utilize all available means to protect the people and the nation.

“As I have always said, it is high time that we should speed up strengthening our defense posture by modernizing our military forces.

The Philippines will not be intimidated. The West Philippine Sea is rightfully ours, and we will continue to defend it,” he said.

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay also condemned the “unnecessary, insensitive and irresponsible action” made by the Chinese Coast Guard last June 17, when they rammed a Philippine mission near Ayungin Shoal.

“Mahirap paniwalaan na ang supply ship pa ang may sala samantalang maraming ulat ng mga katulad na insidente ng pagbangga ng CCC sa ating mga bangka maging mga sasakyang-dagat ng mga foreign-flagged vessels (It is hard to believe that the supply ship is still at fault when there are many reports of similar incidents of CCC collisions with our boats and even foreign-flagged vessels,” Binay noted.

“I call on the Chinese Coast Guard to exercise restraint and urge them to be good friends and neighbors with the Philippines as our country is to them,” she said.

“We will continue to stand firm in our resolve to protect our people and our sovereignty. The safety and well-being of our citizens will always be paramount,” she added.

If China indeed values the country’s friendship, Binay said they ought to understand that “we don't hurt our friends.”

“We are never the aggressors,” she pointed out.

Related Tags

jv ejercito Nancy Binay West Philippine Sea (WPS) China Coast Guard
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