Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 20) — Sen. Francis Tolentino on Wednesday said he does not need to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss the “paradigm shift” the chief executive is envisioning in the Philippines’ efforts to deal with China’s aggressions in the West Philippine Sea.
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It is within the executive department to explain further what it means with the new approach, said Tolentino, the chairperson of the Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones.
“Siguro role na ng executive how to describe, how to unravel the meaning of the concept of paradigm shift. Sila na ‘yon, the Department of Affairs,” he told reporters in a media forum.
“Di ko alam how it will be explained kasi three words nakatatak sa mga diyaryo: ‘paradigm shift’ and then the description with the relationship of China ‘poor,’” he added.
[Translation: Maybe it’s the role of the executive, of the Department of Foreign Affairs, to describe and unravel the meaning of the concept of paradigm shift. I don’t know how it will be explained because three words were noted in the newspapers: “paradigm shift” and then the description with the relationship of China “poor.”]
Tolentino said the maritime zones bill, which he said is eyed for passage by January next year, can be part of the “diplomatic tools” the chief executive can use to deal with “pressing, continuing, evolving challenges.”
“That law, once passed, will be submitted to the United Nations. That law will be recognized by all state parties of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)…Tumibay ‘yong ating claim kaysa wala (It would solidify our claim than nothing at all),” he said.
READ: Maritime zones bill to push foreign countries to comply with PH laws within its waters – SolGen
Tolentino said the country’s “public diplomacy” is also effective, which he explains as the publicizing of actions to show that we conducted the right efforts about the territorial dispute and gain more allies.
He also agreed with former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s comment that the country should be extracting gas from the Reed Bank or Recto Bank, but the senator said the Philippines needs economic alliances.
“Convert existing alliances with the US, Australia, Japan as economic alliance that will pave the way for the exploration of whatever sea bed, mineral, and resources can be generated from that area,” Tolentino said.
The senator said it would also be better to tie it up with other proposals, such as changing the economic provisions of the Constitution.
“If you tie it up with the reciprocal access agreement maganda rin. Hindi lang dapat joint patrol, I’m sure Japanese technology is more than efficient to exploit the resources,” he also said.
[Translation: If you tie up with the reciprocal access agreement, that’s also good. It should not be only a joint patrol. I’m sure Japanese technology is more than efficient to exploit the resources.]
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He said he could not say if talks of joint exploration with China would be futile but “the stage we are in right now, baka merong (there might be) mistrust.”
CNN Philippines’ Eimor Santos and Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring contributed to this report.
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