Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 5) — A lawmaker downplayed fears on the growing militarization of China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), claiming that the Philippines will eventually get its “day of reckoning” when it enforces its territorial claims.
During the plenary deliberation on the buget of the Office of the President on Monday, Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said there is nothing to worry about the structures being built by China over the disputed territory.
“Kung ang isang malaking puwersa merong military na pinalibutan sa ating lupa, nagtayo sila ng structure sa lupa kung saan tayo ay may claim. Definitely po, pag tayo ay nanalo sa korte, yung kanilang itinayo mapupunta po sa atin iyon dahil atin ang lupa,” said Yap, a staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte.
[Translation: If a huge force allows its military to encroach in our land, and they build structures on that land that we claim, definitely, when we win in court, what they built will definitely go to us because that land is ours.]
He added: “Wag po tayong matakot pag nagtayo sila ng structure, dahil bandang huli, kapag na-enforce na natin ang ating karapatan, dumating na ang ating day of reckoning, yung mga structure na iyon ay mapupunta rin sa atin iyon.”
[Translation: Let us not be afraid when they build a structure because in the end, when we enforce our rights and our day of reckoning comes, those structures will eventually go to us.]
Yap was addressing the queries of Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas on possible concrete actions taken by Duterte’s office following his speech before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month. She also asked whether the administration took effort in looking into the United States-blacklisted Chinese companies which have been involved in the militarization of the West Philippine Sea.
In the committee level a few weeks back, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea already reasoned that there’s no reason for the Philippines to be involved in the issue due to certain economic implications. However, he admitted that the agency is not aware of such companies despite its hefty intelligence funds over the past years.
Public officials and foreign relations experts earlier urged Duterte to turn his UNGA speech into reality, after asserting the Philippines’ legal victory over the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling.
Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio previously warned that China’s opportunism and increased presence in the disputed waters need a strong pushback before it is too late.
“If we do not do that, we can see more Chinese warships, service ships moving towards Reed Bank or even Malampaya,” Carpio said. “This is really an escalation and we should take this very seriously.”
The tribunal ruled that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights over most of the South China Sea using its “nine-dash line” assertion. It also recognized Philippine sovereign rights in marine features within its exclusive economic zone and said Beijing violated those rights by interfering with fishing and petroleum exploration as well as constructing artificial islands.
China, however, has repeatedly refused to recognize the ruling.
