Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 7) — Senate President Migz Zubiri wants to invite several officials from the executive branch to discuss the recent water cannon incident near the Ayungin shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
In a privilege speech on Monday, Zubiri said that while it is the president that makes decisions on foreign policy, the Senate cannot remain quiet on the issue.
He said instead of military action, the government should lessen economic transactions with China.
\”But how can we not speak up when the very troops who secure our borders and stand on harm’s way have been airing their disgust? We can learn from our neighbor Vietnam. Vietnam, they decided to boycott all Chinese-made products. They decided to veer away from China as its number one trading partner,\” he said.
Senator and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa, meanwhile, said even if no guns were fired by the Chinese Coast Guard, its actions were still very dangerous.
“Tambaloslos. Sobra na tayong ginagago ng China. Alam nila na hindi sila pwedeng magpaputok sa ating tropa doon, sa ating Coast guard because it will trigger the mutual defense treaty with the US,” he said. “Ang ginagawa nila binomobomba lang nila tayo ng tubig. Pareho lang rin iyan sa pagpapaputok, kapag ikaw ay tinamaan ng high pressure na tubig na yan pwedeng mabali ang braso, leeg mo… so ganoon na rin ang epekto.”
[Translation: China is making a fool of us. They know they can’t fire at our troops there, at the coast guard because it will trigger the mutual defense treaty with the US. What they’re doing is using water cannons. It’s the same as opening fire, when you’re hit by a high-pressure jet of water, you can break an arm, your neck…the effect is the same.]
Sen. Robin Padilla again pushed for the amendment of the Constitution to allow the president to declare martial law in the face of imminent danger.
He asked fellow senators, why should we wait for an invasion by China?
Padilla also volunteered to set sail for the West Philippine Sea and report to the Senate his experience there to aid in the Senate investigation.
