黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri urged the Executive Department to take necessary steps to assert the country鈥檚 sovereign rights over its territory after China鈥檚 Coast Guard blocked and fired a water cannon at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel bound for Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday, August 5.

鈥淸In] the search for better strategies, I urge the Executive to run the point, using all viable tools at its disposal, such as a possible joint patrol over the West Philippine Sea with our allies, and the ones we have enumerated in our resolution,鈥� said Zubiri in his privilege speech, which he delivered in a plenary session Monday.听

Senators on August 1 unanimously in the West Philippine Sea.听

The measure likewise urges the Department of Foreign Affairs to continue holding a dialogue with China to assert the Philippines鈥� sovereign rights over its territory.听

听But if such efforts are continuously ignored by China, and the harassment of our fisherfolk, Navy, and Coast Guard persists, the Department of Foreign Affairs is further urged to pursue the following courses of action:

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• Bring international attention to China鈥檚 harassment of Filipino fishermen and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling
• Utilize international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea
• Engage with like-minded countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling听
• File a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines鈥� established rights in the West Philippine Sea
• Purse other diplomatic modes as the DFA may deem appropriate and necessary

Zubiri, in his privilege speech, likewise criticized China, calling its acts 鈥減rovocative, illegal, and dangerous.鈥� He stressed that the recent aggression shows China鈥檚 diplomatic duplicity.

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