'Wala sa mapa?': Marcoleta says there is no West Philippine Sea

SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (Facebook)

Senatorial aspirant SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said on Tuesday, Feb. 4 that there's no such thing as the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Marcoleta gave this statement during the House tri-committee (tri-comm) hearing, which tackled the prevalence of fake news and deepfakes online.

He also asserted that there was a need to educate Filipinos on "the complex issues surrounding the South China Sea (SCS)".

"We have to enlighten our people because if our people are able to distinguish what is fake and what is true, sila lang they can always repel maski na konting tulong lang (they can already repel [fake news] on their own, with little help)," Marcoleta said in a manifestation.

"Halimbawa kanina sabi ni Chair [Santa Rosa City lone district Rep.] Dan [Fernandez], ang problema natin is the [WPS]. But sinong agency ng government ang nag-empower sa ating mga kababayan para malaman nila ang complications ng [WPS]?" he asked.

(For example, Chair Dan said earlier that our problem is the WPS. But which agency has empowered our countrymen to learn the complications of WPS?)

"Isipin po natin sir, ha. There is not--there is nothing as [WPS]. Wala po yun, that is a creation by us," Marcoleta said.

(Let's think about this, sir. There is not--there is nothing as [WPS]. That is nothing, that is a creation by us.)

"Sa totoo lang po, kahit na basahin mo yung ating mapa or what, there is no [WPS]," he underscored.

(In truth, there is no WPS, even if you read our map or what.)

"Ang [WPS], yun po yung areang kine-claim natin, ito yung exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The complications of the [WPS] has not been explained to our people. Kaya po nagiging vulnerable tayong lahat eh," the former House deputy speaker further said.

(The WPS, or the area that we're claiming, that's the EEZ. The complications of the [WPS] has not been explained to our people. That's why we are all vulnerable.)

At any rate, Marcoleta acknowledged that the Philippines was a "claimaint" in the areas, along with countries like China, Vietnam, !Malaysia, and Taiwan, just to name a few.

Territory not the real issue  

The usage of "West Philippine Sea" became prevalent during the administration of the late former president Benigno S. Aquino III. It was the Aquino government that took China's expansive claims in the SCS to court--and won, via the July 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

"Ang mga kababayan natin, kahit ano pong i-feed sa kanya, akala niya totoo because we weren't able to educate them," lamented Marcoleta.

(Our countrymen will believe whatever you feed them because we weren't able to educate them.)

"We have not enlightened them as to complications of the West Phi--of the South China Sea. What is the South China Sea? Di ho ba? Doon ho tayo magsimula (Right? We should start there)," he added. 

Marcoleta argued that territory wasn't the real issue with the SCS.

"Hindi po territory ang issue in the South China Sea. Ang issue dito is our maritime rights, the maritime rights designated by our EEZ. These are not territories under public international law."

(Territory isn't the issue in the South China Sea. The issue here is our maritime rights, the maritime rights designated by our EEZ. These are not territories under public international law.)