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KINONDENA ng Senado ang patuloy na panggigipit sa mga mangingisdang Pinoy at ang patuloy na pananatili ng mga Chinese militia vessels sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) sa kabila ng kapasyahan inilabas ng International Arbitral Court taong 2016.
Panawagan sa gobyerno ng Senado sa pinagtibay na Senate Resolution 718, igiit ang soberanya at karapatan sa karagatang pasok sa exclusive economic zone (EEZ) ng Pilipinas, alinsunod sa United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Mungkahi ng mga senador sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), idulog ang patuloy na panggigipit ng China sa mga mangingisdang Pinoy sa WPS – na anila’y lantarang pagsalungat sa desisyon ng pandaigdigang husgado.
Hindi rin aniya dapat iwanan sa usapin ang patuloy na paglalagay sa peligro ng mga Tsino sa mga Pilipinong mangingisda at bantay-dagat sa nasasakupang teritoryo.
“We came out with a strong consensus yesterday after discussions with the West Philippine Sea task force, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff [Gen. Romeo] Brawner, [Jr.] and DFA Sec. [Enrique] Manalo. We never watered-down the resolutions that we filed. We actually strengthened the resolutions that we filed… We strengthened the position of the government. Now, we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the north,” wika ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
“The beauty of this is with proper consensus and consultations among our colleagues, we come out unanimous with these options. We stand by each other and for the country regardless of political color, regardless of where we come from. We are together when it comes to the sovereignty of the country,” aniya.
Kasabay nito, nagpasalamat si Sen. Risa Hontiveros sa mga kapwa mambabatas sa kolektibong pagkilos na naglalayong isulong bilang pandaigdigang usapin ang pambabarako ng China sa WPS.
“This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission,” ayon kay Hontiveros.
“In a nutshell, the Senate wants the DFA to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government in pushing for recognition and respect of the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ and in pursuing the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” saad sa isang bahagi ng pinagtibay na resolusyon.
“It is hereby resolved by the Senate of the Philippines to strongly condemn the continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and the incursions in the West Philippine Sea by the Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels, and to urge the Philippine Government to take appropriate action in asserting and securing the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ and continental shelf, and to call on China to stop its illegal activities in accordance with the United Nations Convention on The Law Of The Sea and the 2016 Ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.”
“Mahirap kunin ang consensus sa 24 na senador na iba’t iba ang perspektibo, pare-parehong nagmamahal sa ating bansa, pare-pareho pong gusto na ma-settle ang issue of course in favor of the Philippines, ng ating territorial rights, sovereignty,” ayon naman kay Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
