Domineering with no shame, through deafening barks and unyielding rhetoric, attempting to win a lost game.
China has remained unshaken as they have asserted their rights to the West Philippine Sea, rejecting the resolution filed by the House of Representatives on December 8.
House Resolution (HR) No. 1494 is a consolidation of different resolutions condemning China's illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and emphasizing the need to strengthen the Philippine Coast Guard, which is the foremost protector of the WPS.
It also urges the government to defend the country's sovereign rights to its exclusive economic zone while emphasizing the Philippines' triumph in the 2016 arbitral ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Netherlands. Our country’s victory against China was also concluded by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which China has no legal or historical basis for its claims. UNCLOS also ruled that China’s land reclamation and other water activities in the disputed sea were unlawful.
However, despite the efforts of our country to come up with a peaceful agreement, China remains uncompromising and continues to impose its claims. In 1947, China conjured a map asserting that Beijing had the right to the disputed area centuries ago when the Paracel and Spratly Islands were perceived as an inherent part of the Chinese nation.
What has been proven to be ours shouldn’t grant others the right to impose conditions on it. China’s nine-dash line, updated to a ten-dash monstrosity earlier this year, overlaps with UNCLOS, which mandated a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The line also overlaps with the territories claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, making their means of measurement questionable because it occupies other territories.
The Philippines is continuously intimidated by China, which diminishes the Philippines’ ability to fully secure ownership of the West Philippine Sea. With that, should we succumb to China’s cunning tactics, expecting our country to settle an agreement in favor of their terms?
Surrendering to their terms is not an option. For the longest time, the Philippines had endured intimidation and threats out of fear that China was advantageous in terms of its military forces. However, with China’s thirst to occupy beyond its placement on the map, what makes anyone think that following their demands won’t be taken against the country in the long run?
Harassed, deprived, and threatened. These are the traumatizing experiences Filipino fishermen had to go through despite the ‘obedient’ impression the previous administration had created. A yes to China is an invalidation for the victims of the Chinese maritime forces. Leaving an impression of an inability to assert and seek accountability will imply that the Philippines is succumbing to China. If we do not call them out, how will the world know about their violations?
To the government, it is a commendable action to see that our leaders still have backbones. Continue authoring bills and resolutions that will help defend our sovereign rights and our people. The previous government has been unnecessarily silent about the deceitful actions taken by China. It’s about time to let them know we are a country they cannot walk all over and expect to blindly obey their commands.
To the people, support the actions taken by the government to defend the West Philippine Sea. Utilize platforms that will help people know about the situation of our fishermen in the disputed sea. Our small actions—when gathered collectively—will help intimidate China off our people and sea because the world will be closely watching them.
The brazen underdog. China may have felt like the West Philippine Sea dispute was a game they were destined to win. Unfortunately, the truth has prevailed, contrary to their expectations. With no remorse, they try to assert victory as if their barks are capable of twisting the fact that the West Philippine Sea is ours.
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