Resolution vs China sponsored

SENATOR Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel on Wednesday sponsored her own resolution that called on the government to seek the help of the United Nations (UN) in putting a stop to Chinese harassment of Filipino vessels in the South China Sea.

“The reckless, unrepentant and continuous incursion of Chinese vessels into the heart of the West Philippine Sea strikes at the very core of our nation’s sovereignty, the integrity of our country’s maritime zones and the rights of our people,” she told the Senate floor.

About 324,000 metric tons of fishery products were harvested from the South China Sea in 2020, 7% of the Philippines’ total production that year, Ms. Hontiveros-Baraquel said, citing the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

In terms of energy resources, a US Geological Survey report estimates about 28 billion barrels of oil and 266 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the disputed water, much of it in the Recto Bank, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“There is too much at stake. If we do nothing, there is too much to lose.”

Ms. Hontiveros-Baraquel said the Philippines through the Foreign Affairs department should sponsor a resolution before the UN General Assembly asking China to stop harassing the Philippine Coast Guard in the disputed water. — Jan Jiminel Cacdac