SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday described as ‘unsettling’ the apparent alignment of a Filipino lawmaker’s statements with China’s position on territorial disputes, warning that such remarks could have negative implications on national security.
In a statement, Lacson raised concerns that comments made by Senator Rodante Marcoleta regarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS) seemed similar to statements published on the website of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It’s unsettling, to say the least. This is national security we’re talking about. The situation is especially delicate, especially with the advent of the Iran war, and many fear it could escalate into World War III,” he said.
The veteran lawmaker revealed that several assertions made by Marcoleta during a Senate hearing reflected China’s stance on the WPS controversy, particularly the claim that businessman Tomas Cloma did not discover what is now known as the Kalayaan Island Group.
He noted that the Chinese foreign ministry’s website similarly states that the Philippine government was neither aware of nor supportive of Cloma’s activities in the area.
Another point raised by Marcoleta, according to Lacson, was the argument that the Kalayaan Island Group could not be considered “terra nullius” because multiple explorers had already reached the area before Cloma declared it Freedomland in 1956, a position that echoes China’s claim that the Philippine assertion of discovery under terra nullius principle lacks basis.
“If we backtrack the events that transpired in the past several months, one thing is crystal clear: when cornered by the fault of his own doing, he (Marcoleta) employs a diversionary maneuver, pathetically stretching the conversation, no matter how illogical, until people get drained and tired,” Lacson said.
