Don’t block defense of West Philippine Sea, government urged

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ former top diplomat urged the government yesterday not to stand in the way of Filipinos legitimately protecting the country’s territory.

Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario asked Filipinos “not to be silent as silence encourages further aggression into our lands and seas.”

“As we ordinary citizens continue to protect what is ours, we humbly beseech our government to help us in this endeavor,” Del Rosario said in a statement. “At the very least, our government should not stand in the way of Filipinos legitimately protecting their own lands and waters.”

During President Duterte’s 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, he admitted that there was nothing he could do against China’s unlawful incursions into the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said he is “inutile” and “cannot do anything” about it.

“In retrospect, we trusted our President and relied on his promise that he will invoke and enforce the UNCLOS award, as part of his constitutional duty, as the commander-in-chief of our Army, to protect our national territory, including our waters and seas,” Del Rosario said, referring to the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He emphasized that it falls on citizens and patriotic officials in government to protect the nation’s patrimony.

“Despite our President’s admission that he cannot do anything to protect the West Philippine Sea, we Filipinos should continue to stand for what is right and to defend what is rightfully and legitimately ours under the Rule of Law,” Del Rosario said.

“We should continue to ally ourselves with countries which share our democratic values and respect for the Rule of Law to be able to stand up to a bully like China,” he added.

In addressing the most critical security issue in the region and the Philippines along with like-minded states, he stressed that Filipinos should continue to assert that “right is might” and that international law is the great equalizer among states.

China, however, welcomed Duterte’s statement that he will not confront Beijing over the South China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said all countries are endowed with the right to uphold an independent foreign policy and to develop foreign relations based on national interests.

He said Duterte’s policy propositions are in keeping with the fundamental interests of the Philippines, the shared aspiration of regional countries, and the trend of the times for peace and development. – Cecille Suerte Felipe