Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he will file on Monday a resolution that will recommend the end of bilateral talks with China and denounce the superpower’s harassment of Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“That’s number one, it’s of course to continue the diplomatic protest, then discontinue bilateral discussions with China. And then number two, to file the appeal to the [United Nations] General Assembly (UNGA). Puwede rin po nilang aksyunan ‘yun [They can act on it]. That will be one of the options,” Zubiri said in an interview on Friday.
This comes after Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise the issue of China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the WPS to the UNGA.
He said his measure would express the Senate’s condemnation of Beijing’s incursions in Philippine waters and its continued rejection of the 2016 Hague ruling that nullified its claim over the South China Sea.
Zubiri added that the new measure would give the government more options in addressing Chinese harassment aside from the proposed UNGA resolution.
“Hindi naman po tayo executive. Ang pangulo talaga ang nagdidikta ng foreign policy ng ating bansa — kung gusto ba niyang makipagdiskusyon, gusto ba niya itong idulog sa UN General Assembly, o gusto niyang mas matindi pang ipaglaban ang ating mga stake dito sa mga lugar na ito,” he said.
[Translation: We are not the executive. The president dictates the foreign policy of the country — if he wants a discussion, or if he wants to go to the UNGA, or if he wants to fight harder for our stakes in these areas.]
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier commented on Hontiveros’ resolution, saying the country’s foreign policy was not defined by the legislature but by the executive.
“Although the Senate puwede naman pong magbigay ng tinatawag na opinion. We can make suggestions. We can give the sense of the Senate na nakikita po natin, ‘yung galit po natin dito sa pangyayari sa West Philippine Sea,” he said.
[Translation: The Senate can give its opinion. We can make suggestions. We can give the sense of the Senate, where we see anger at what is happening in the West Philippine Sea.]
