A maritime law expert called on Filipinos to choose a presidential candidate who has firm policies and can defend the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
University of the Philippines professor Atty. Jay Batongbacal, in a radio interview, said voters should carefully look at the thoughts and stances of candidates and choose one who can the country’s rights to the WPS.
Batongbacal made the comments after the March 2 incident in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, wherein a Chinese Coast Guard ship sailed close to a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.
The law expert also slammed President Duterte who continues to be “friendly” with China. Batongback said Duterte’s actions is just “emboldening the Asian superpower into taking more of the Philippines’ territorial waters.”
He also criticized Duterte’s 2016 campaign promise of riding a jet ski to defend the West Philippine Sea, saying that it can’t be used again in 2022. He urged voters not to fall for such empty promises, come election time in May.
“Please lang, bumenta na iyon. Huwag na tayong maniniwala doon sa ganoong klaseng mga pangako,” Batongbacal, in the radio interview, said.
Batongbacal said voters should think about the future generation, when it comes to the WPS and who to vote for in the May elections.
He said “our grandchildren and their grandchildren will be affected by this, especially if we lose the West Philippine Sea,” and that the WPS “will determine the country’s food supply as well as the future of its indigenous energy sources.”
The WPS, Batongbacal said, accounts for 27 percent of the country’s fish supply.
He noted that among the presidential candidates, Vice President Leni Robredo’s approach to the WPS issue is the most “comprehensive.”
Robredo earlier said that she would use the “instruments of national power” approach to address the issue of the West Philippine Sea, using diplomatic, informational, military, and economic strategies.
Batongbacal also took note of Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s and labor leader Leody De Guzman’s “diplomacy” platforms in dealing with China, highlighting the importance of collaborating with Southeast Asian neighbors and “middle powers” like Japan and Australia.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso’s platform of intensifying military presence in the WPS, he added, must also be paired with increased civilian presence such as fisherfolk.
Batongbacal pointed out that while former Sen. Bongbong Marcos’ approach of talks with China is plausible, there must be a clear objective in this and not simply doing talks “for the sake of talking.”
“Hindi enough ‘yung sasabihin mong makikiusap ka… At by experience, nakipag-usap na ‘yung nauna sa iyo, eh wala namang nangyari,” he said.
(Just talking is not enough. And by experience, your predecessor already did that to no avail.)