MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution to declare July 12 of each year National West Philippine Sea Victory Day to commemorate the landmark 2016 ruling that invalidated China's sweeping claims over much of the South China Sea.
The West Philippine Sea is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf but Chinese vessels have swarmed parts of the sea and have shadowed and challenged Philippine ships on patrol and on resupply missions, according to the military and the coast guard.
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"Commemorating our 2016 victory every year can help weaken China’s spurious claims over our own territories," Hontiveros, who also previously filed a resolution urging the government to bring the West Philippine Sea issue to the UN General Assembly, said.
"China has been repeating its lies and propaganda, and so, we in the Philippines should not stop emphasizing the truth," she said in Filipino. "Let's start by letting our citizens know about our rights to the West Philippines Sea."
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Hontiveros filed a similar resolution in 2021 to mark the decision that the arbitration case that the Philippines filed in 2013 that also ruled that Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal is a traditional fishing ground that China cannot deprive fishers from other nations access to.
Played down during the Duterte administration, the Philippines has since been making stronger statements on the West Philippine Sea, including by releasing reports and footage of Chinese presence in the sea to the public.
Resolutions, when adopted, express the sense or sentiment of the body that passed it. They are non-binding and do not have the strength of law but can help influence policy.
"Government must take every possible action in the name of our national sovereignty," Hontiveros said Wednesday.
"Even if it is just one day in the year, let us celebrate the West Philippine Sea. Let us be proud of the courage and heart of Filipinos who stand up to China. Let's fight for the Philippines."