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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
MARIING binatikos ng dalawang mambabatas mula sa Mindanao region ang anila’y patuloy na propaganda ng Chinese government kaugnay ng di umano’y mapanlinlang na pahayag sa hangaring ibaling tunay na isyu – ang karahasan sa West Philippine Sea.
Sa isang pahayag, sinuportahan ni Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, ang posisyon ni ni Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro sa bagong paandar ng isang Chinese Embassy official hinggil sa di umano’y “new model of a gentlemen’s agreement” kaugnay ng pinagtatalunang karagatan sa gawing kanluran ng Pilipinas.
“The claim made by a Chinese Embassy official, I believe, is an outright and calculated lie and forms part of their propaganda intended or designed to veer away and/or deviate the Filipinos’ attention on their creeping invasion and maybe other evil designs in the Philippines,” patutsada ng House panel head.
“China, at first claimed they had a verbal “gentlemen’s agreement” with former President Duterte on the Ayungin Shoal in WPS. Now, under the present dispensation, the Chinese Embassy claimed that there exists a “new model” of a gentlemen’s agreement confirmed by the AFP Wescom, the DND chief and the National Security Adviser. Secretary Teodoro has debunked all those claims,” diin ng Surigao del Norte lawmaker.
Giit ni Barbers, gawa-gawa lamang at walang katotohanan ng verbal agreements para bigyang-katwiran ang presensya at panghihimasok sa West Philippine Sea, kabilang na ang pambubully at pambobomba ng tubig sa sasakyang dagat ng Philippine Coast Guard at BFAR sa loob mismo ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas.
“China has been lying and the Filipinos should always adopt extreme caution on whatever they say and do on the WPS issue,” tahasang sabi pa ng Mindanaoan solon.
Sa panig ni Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, sinabi niyang ang panibagong usapin na pinalulutang ng Chinese embassy ay isa lamang sa mga taktikang ginagamit ng China para guluhin ang isyu ng West Philippine Sea.
“I think the Chinese is resorting to different kind of tactics, nandiyan yung bullying pati na rin ‘yon (new model agreement). Kasi they understand the importance of propaganda, it puts legitimacy to their illegal claim, Sinasabi nila o nag-agree na kami at saka ang Pilipinas, so why are you acting this way? Why are you changing our agreement? Parang ganun yung pinapakita nila para at least may semblance,” ayon pa sa Lanao del Sur congressman.
Higit pa sa katampalasan ng China, mas ikinadismaya ni Adiong ang ilang grupo at indibidwal na pumapanig sa dayuhan..
“Doon ako medyo nasasaktan dahil may mga kasamahan po tayo, segments in our society are also becoming apologist for China, becoming you know the worse the
mouthpieces of China, Dino-double down nila yung lahat ng claim ng illegal claims ng
China. Dapat po sa ganitong usapin we have to side with our own,” pahayag pa ng mambabatas.
Paalala ni Adiong, malinaw ang posisyon ng Pangulo at ng gobyerno – ipaglalaban ng Pilipinas ang soberanya at teritoryong sakop ng bansa.
“We have to fight for our claim at hindi lang ito arbitrarily claimed by the Philippines. The basis for this is the ruling of the UNCLOS and internationally we have the moral high ground to claim these areas and the West Philippine Sea,” sabi pa ng Lanao del Sur solon.
