Speaker leads House delegation to Beijing

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was set to leave last night for Beijing to meet with his counterpart amid tensions between the Philippines and China over the latter’s intrusions into the country’s territory.

Belmonte is leading a congressional delegation to meet with Wu Bangguo, chairman of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress.

The delegation, composed of La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, Bukidnon Rep. Jose Zubiri, Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Victor Yu, and Batangas Rep. Tomas Apacible, left yesterday.

“If the occasion arises, we will reiterate the Philippine position. We are a legislative not an executive group,” Belmonte said when asked whether the Chinese intrusions in the West Philippine Sea would be taken up in the meetings.

He said the trip was scheduled last year but it had been postponed several times.

Cagayan Rep. Juan Enrile welcomed the opportunity for a dialogue with Beijing although it would be between parliament leaders.

“It’s an opportunity to engage them already so it (Spratlys) should be number one in the issues they will discuss. I think any dialogue where this will be raised will be helpful,” Enrile told reporters.

“If we do not start undertaking dialogues, the day might come that we are no longer in the equation. We will no longer be a participant. The battleground is there but we don’t have a stake,” he said.