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"A clear and deliberate violation of our sovereign rights."

That's how House Assistant Majority Leader Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun described China's "illegal occupation" of the territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“This latest move by China is a clear and deliberate violation of our sovereign rights,” Khonghun, a whose province faces the WPS, said in a statement Monday, April 28.

“Sandy Cay belongs to the Philippines. No amount of aggressive posturing or illegal occupation can erase that fact,” he underscored.

China held inspection activities over the weekend at Sandy Cay, a sandbar located near Pag-asa Island. This sparked outrage from Filipino leaders and renewed calls for vigilance over the country’s maritime territories.

“We must call a spade a spade. China’s actions are illegal, provocative and undermine regional peace and stability,” Khonghun said.

The Zambales solon emphasized that the Philippines has consistently relied on international law, particularly the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the WPS, as the foundation for asserting its rightful position.

“Our nation has always sought a path of peace, grounded in the rule of law and mutual respect. But peace must never be mistaken for weakness. We have every right and every duty to defend what is ours,” Khonghun stated.

Meanwhile, Khonghun commended the recent air defense drills conducted jointly by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States military in Luzon, which he described as “timely and necessary assertion of readiness and resolve".

“Through strong alliances and a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, we show the world that we will not yield, we will not stop asserting sovereignty over our territory and exclusive economic zone,” Khonghun stressed.

He said the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, will continue to support all diplomatic, legal and defense efforts to uphold Philippine sovereignty.

“In defending our territory, we are not merely protecting sand and sea. We are safeguarding our history, our identity and the generations of Filipinos yet to come,” Khonghun said.