Senators to discuss China harassment at sea

SENATORS will meet with Foreign Affairs and local intelligence officials to discuss their concerns about China’s alleged bullying of Philippine Coast Guard ships in the South China Sea, according to the Senate president.

“We will meet with the Department of Foreign Affair, the Task Force on the West Philippine Sea and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency to hear their concerns,” Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri said in a Viber message on Thursday.

He said he was confident that the resolution sponsored by Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel urging the government to elevate China’s harassment to the United Nations General Assembly would be supported by his colleagues.

“While the senators differ on how to go about this, we are united in the desire to condemn the harassment and bullying of our fisherfolk and Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea and ultimately, to enforce the 2016 arbitral award,” he added, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos said the Philippines “should

not poke the panda,” and try to deescalate tensions at every opportunity.

She said she is worried that the proposed Philippine resolution calling on China to stop its harassment at sea might not generate enough votes.

This could potentially weaken its arbitral victory, Ms. Marcos said, referring to the 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal that voided China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea. — Jan Jiminel Cacdac