President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Friday expressed doubts that a Senate resolution that aims to draw international attention to China’s aggression in the West Philippines Sea would reach the United Nations (UN).
Before leaving Kuala Lumpur at the end of his three-day state visit to Malaysia, Mr. Marcos said the UN “entertains governments; not parts of government, not the judiciary or the executive.”
“The senator (Risa Hontiveros) is free to file whatever resolution she wants, but I do not know how that would translate to any action that would reach the United Nations General Assembly,” the President told reporters before heading to Manila, where he was expected to arrive late Thursday (see related story on A1 — Editors).
This was as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed confidence Thursday that the UN General Assembly will pass a resolution reaffirming the country’s sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), despite misgivings that such a move could weaken Manla’s position if countries close to China vote against it.
Zubiri said he was unsure if the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would keep the original wording of Senate Resolution 659 authored by Senator Risa Hontiveros.
“That remains to be seen. We will meet with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Authority (NICA) to hear their concerns,” he said.
Zubiri said he is also confident that they can word the resolution in such a way that the concerns of all members of the Senate are addressed.
Earlier, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said filing such a resolution before the UNGA could backfire and weaken the country’s position if not enough countries vote for it.
But Zubiri said a reaffirmation of the country’s claim to the WPS before the UNGA would solidify and rally international support against
China’s military and political incursions into Philippine territory.
Although the senators differ on how to go about this, the Senate leader said they are united in the desire to condemn the harassment and bullying of Filipino fishermen and the Coast Guard in the WPS.
“That said, the Senate is a deliberative body whose members are open to discussion and reasonable compromise,” Zubiri said.
“The ultimate aim is for the government to take concrete action before international fora and solicit multilateral cooperation, particularly with coastal states who share our interest in ensuring that the UNCLOS is respected,” he said, referring to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
While joining his colleagues in the Senate in expressing outrage against China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the WPS, Cayetano urged them to tread carefully on the issue so as not to weaken the country’s position.
Cayetano made the call as the Senate tackled Hontiveros’ resolution, seeking to urge the government, through the DFA, to sponsor a resolution before the UNGA, calling on China to stop its harassment of Philippine vessels within the WPS.
Cayetano, who served as DFA Secretary, questioned the resolution’s focus on China when Vietnam and Malaysia — both allies to the Philippines — also have a presence in several islands that are within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
He also noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the chief diplomat, has not yet stated what he wants to be taken up to the UN. “We are not a rubber stamp, and yes, the Senate has its own mind.
But our Constitution said the President should act on this,” he said.
He said it would embarrass the Senate if the President later orders the DFA not to file the resolution. Hontiveros said a UNGA resolution calling out China’s aggression in the WPS would complement the Philippines’ victory against Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
“We should really press our case not just at the Hague… but continuously in the court of international opinion and therefore also in any and all other international fora including the UN,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros’ stand was supported by Zubiri and Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Raffy Tulfo. Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Sen.
Loren Legarda later registered their support in condemning China’s incursions into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but sided with Cayetano in deferring the approval of Hontiveros’ resolution. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said there were other ways to address China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea without elevating it before the UN.