Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) — The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a resolution strongly condemning China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.
House Resolution 1494 also called on the government to uphold and defend the nation’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone in line the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 ruling of the arbitral tribunal.
It consolidated previous resolutions 781, 823, 1169, 1201, 1204, and 1293, which denounced different acts of China in Philippine waters, including laser-pointing, water cannon use, and other forms of “harassment” against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Filipino boats.
“Despite this ruling (2016 ruling), China has continued its harassment of Philippine vessels in Philippine territory, including those of the country’s fisherfolk, navy, and coast guard, and they have continued to build illegal structures in the West Philippine Sea, thus undermining peace and stability in the region,” the resolution read.
It also mentioned how China’s actions against the Philippines’ routine resupply trips to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal were getting “more dangerous,” as seen by the latter’s deployment of water cannons toward Philippine resupply ships and the use of military-grade laser lights at the PCG.
The most recent incident involved Beijing’s attempt to block another resupply trip, which resulted in a collision between a China Coast Guard vessel and a Filipino resupply boat on Oct. 22.
It further highlighted the country’s use of “diplomatic tools” to address Beijing’s aggression, including the over 400 diplomatic protests against the illegal acts and the illegal presence and activities of Chinese vessels in WPS.
To strengthen the protection of the country’s waters, the resolution urged the government to build a self-reliant defense posture program as well as upgrade the capabilities of the PCG by boosting the funds for armed troops and civilian maritime patrol forces.
“The Philippines should continue to assert and fight for its rights in the West Philippine Sea and uphold and implement its hard-earned victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the Hague, The Netherlands,” it stressed. The PCA served as the registry of the arbitration.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier announced that the government has begun negotiating a separate code of conduct (COC) with other ASEAN nations that have maritime claims in the South China Sea, while continuing discussions between Beijing and several Southeast Asian countries regarding the COC are moving slowly.
