Choose leaders who are unafraid to confront China — Hontiveros 

A SENATOR rallied voters on April 9, set as the Philippines’ Day of Valor, to choose leaders who are unafraid to confront China while being able to avoid military conflict in the disputed waters.  

“In this coming election, we must choose leaders who are not afraid to stand up against China,” Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, who is running for reelection under the banner of opposition presidential bet Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, said in Filipino.   

“We also insist that uprising does not equal war.” 

She said that with the best and brightest political and diplomatic minds in the region, China’s aggression can be stopped without the use of force.  

The ability of a country to protect its sovereignty, she added, equates to its capacity to protect its wealth and resources.  

The South China Sea, a key international shipping route, is subject to overlapping territorial claims involving China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Each year, trillions of dollars of trade flow through the sea, which is also rich in marine resources and gas.  

“These are resources that can strengthen our economy for a healthy life and livelihood for all,” said the senator. “So, in the elections, let’s elect leaders who won’t sell us to China. Let’s not waste this opportunity.”   

Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telesummit on Friday, considered as the conclusion of their discussion on the disputed sea.   

The Philippines is holding national and local elections on May 9. Mr. Duterte, who maintained friendly ties with China during his six-year term, is stepping down from office on June 30.  

“The leaders stressed the need to exert all efforts to maintain peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea by exercising restraint, dissipating tensions, and working on a mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation,” the presidential palace said in a statement after the meeting.   

Two decades of negotiations since the declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea was signed by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, no agreement has been made to effect a dispute settlement mechanism aligned with the United Nations Charter and the 2016 UN arbitral ruling.  

China has refused to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling that confirmed the Philippines’ territorial claim over parts of the disputed sea. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan