FIFTEEN senators signed a resolution condemning the public statements of the Chinese embassy in the Philippines made against our officials and institutions and affirmed the right of the republic to assert its sovereign rights in accordance with international law.
In Resolution 256, the senators decried the public statements made by an official of the embassy. The language used, they said, was “inconsistent with restraint, courtesy, and responsibility expected in diplomatic communication.”
The resolution asked the Foreign Affairs department to take necessary diplomatic measures to uphold the dignity of the republic, ensure that relations with other states adhere to international law, and, if needed, “place [the country’s] objections on record and elevate the matter to relevant international fora.”
Those who signed were characterized as “having crossed party lines” to assert the Philippines’ interest beyond their political affiliations, which in the country is tenuous and fleeting anyway.
But equally important as knowing who signed this resolution is identifying those who did not.
These nine senators are Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Christopher Lawrence Go, Ronald Dela Rosa, Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, and Robinhood Padilla.
We wonder what kept them from lending support to a legislative initiative that completely and rationally supports the Philippines which has, for years, been fending off the bullying tactics of our giant neighbor to the West. Then again, gleaning from their previous positions, we think we may have a clue.
That their 15 colleagues banded together despite their political differences should have sent a powerful message about the importance and supremacy of the West Philippine Sea issue. What else could be more important than speaking out against a foreign country that encroaches into what is legally ours? What could be of a higher order than defending our own waters?
It appears that for the unfortunate nine, some loyalties are more sacred than that to the country.
It would be a deep transgression of our sense of nationhood if we simply fell quiet and took the bullying acts as a normal occurrence. Perhaps the idea is to wear us down or normalize it so that we would no longer take issue with China’s acts.
As elected representatives of the people, our lawmakers have the obligation to express not only their own sentiment but to act for and on behalf of their constituents. What ever happened to this representation function?
The battle of wit and word with China will not likely end soon, just as its bullying is not likely to stop in the immediate future. The 15 who took a stand give us hope that some lawmakers remain aware of who they are truly serving.
The rest seem confused about who their masters are.
