PHL gov’t intensifies advocacy campaign on the West Philippine Sea

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 4): PHL gov’t intensifies advocacy campaign on the West Philippine Sea

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose asserted that the Philippine government will not surrender the country’s jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), also known as South China Sea (SCS).

In a series of intensified advocacy campaign here on WPS, Jose insisted that the country “have legitimate rights” over the disputed territory based on international law and that “we should defend what is rightfully ours.”

According to Jose, one of the core issues of disputes is China’s claim of “indisputable sovereignty” over nearly the entire South China Sea, as represented by its nine-dash line.

He said the claim is unacceptable since about “5 million Filipinos depend on Philippine waters for livelihood.”

“Philippine’s 7,107 islands make up only 1/6 of PH territory. The bigger part of PH (5/6) is a vast stretch of waters in and around these islands,” he said stressing that “our waters, our wealth.”

He explained that China’s desire to advance and enforce its nine-dash line claim in the area has transformed into already “assertive and sometimes aggressive” actions toward the Philippines.

Among these, he specifically cited were blockading Bajo De Masinloc and driving local fishermen away with water cannons; preventing the rotation and resupply of provisions to Philippine personnel stationed at the Ayungin Shoal; placing of HD981 Oil Rig in the waters off Vietnam and use of force against them; and the massive reclamation activities and destruction of marine environment in various reefs in the contested territory.

“The government and the Filipino people are determined to defend what is legitimately ours,” Jose assured agitated participants in all forums saying the Philippine government wants the dispute to be resolved peacefully despite China’s provocative actions.

Asec. Jose maintained that bringing the maritime dispute to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is recognizing the “primacy of the rule of law, which we believe is the great equalizer.”

Jose further said that the WPS issue is not only that of maritime but also a sovereignty dispute describing the latter as “quite complex” since it requires the country to produce various documents of its rights, mode of territorial acquisition, among other evidences.  

According to him, the Philippines’ arbitration case dwells more on the clarifications of China’s nine-dash line and its features more than “determining sovereignty over territories or maritime boundary delimitation.”

Likewise, Staff director Dr. Emelyn Libunao, Program Management Division chief of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Central Office reminded participants that the country’s dispute in the West Philippine Sea “is not the sum total of our relations with China.”

She said it should not prevent the Philippines and China to maintain or nurture their existing relations in business and trade, tourism, culture, sports or even explore in other viable partnerships that would bring about mutual benefits.

“Our differences are in official policies, not socio-cultural,” Asec. Jose, the principal resource speaker in the campaign series, emphasized.

Meanwhile, participant Melchor Gepte, PTA Federation president and representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) expressed his doubt in government’s capability to protect its territorial right in WPS citing lack and outdated military equipment and other vital facilities.

But Asec. Jose pointed out the Philippine government is not looking for war and will employ every peaceful settlement to the conflict allaying fears conveyed also by other participants about worst possible scenario should the dispute will not be resolved by peaceful means.

The series of advocacy campaign hopes to pacify public uproar by increasing people’s level of knowledge and understanding on the West Philippine Sea issue..

The Gensan-leg campaign, conducted by PIA in collaboration with DFA started with the Kapihan sa Rehiyon Dose on Wednesday, October 28 with media and government information officers as participants.

It was followed by a Campus Forum in the afternoon with some 400 students coming from the different colleges of Mindanao State University (MSU) swarming the school gymnasium.

On Thursday morning, October 29, more than a hundred delegates from local government units, national government agencies, private/business sectors, civil society organizations, people’s organizations, youth organizations, academe, and student leaders attended the Multi-sectoral Forum on the WPS at the Phela Grande Hotel here.

A focus group discussion for some twenty participants was also undertaken later in the afternoon.
Also present during the forums were Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Rafael Valencia, 1002 Brigade commander Col. Ronald Villanueva, Philippine Coast Guard Gensan Station commander Lt. Rolando Lorenzana, and PIA-12 regional director Olivia Sudaria. 

The next leg, DFA said is scheduled in Batangas and Zamboanga Peninsula.  

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1671446606744/phl-gov-t-intensifies-advocacy-campaign-on-the-west-philippine-sea