Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9) — Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has urged the executive department to file a complaint against China with the United Nations following the water cannon incident at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Zubiri said he had enough of China’s recent “atrocities” in the WPS, and diplomatic protests and note verbales sent by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will not suffice to stop China’s actions.
\”Those acts done were completely illegal and therefore a complaint should be filed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea with the UN,\” said Zubiri.
“Not just note verbale. With due respect sa DFA, sa dami na ng note verbale, sa dami ng diplomatic protest—puwede na i-gift wrap Chinese embassy sa Metro Manila, hindi tayo pinapansin,” he added.
[Translation: Not just note verbale. With due respect to the DFA, with the number of note verbale, with the number of diplomatic protests—we can gift wrap the Chinese embassy in Metro Manila, yet we are still ignored.]
Last week, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution condemning China’s incursion in the WPS and its continued harassment of Filipino fishermen. http://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/8/1/senate-resolution-wps.html
According to Zubiri, as the incident was taking place at Ayungin Shoal, China’s ministry of foreign affairs could not be reached.
“Hindi nga nila sinasagot ‘yung ating hotline. Banggit ng undersecretary of foreign affairs, tinatawagan nila hotline ng Ministry of Foreign Affairs hindi sila sumasagot. They only answered four hours after the incident. Cold line ‘yon, that’s not a hotline,” he added.
[Translation: They are not answering the hotline. The undersecretary of foreign affairs said they called the hotline of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but they did not answer. They only answered four hours after the incident. That’s a cold line, not a hotline.]
