China not a reliable, friendly ally — Gordon | Global News

China not a reliable, friendly ally — Gordon

/ 06:50 PM June 14, 2018

The Philippines should not be “meek” and should have the resolve to tell China that it will not be bullied, Senator Richard Gordon said on Thursday.

The senator expressed doubts on the reliability of China as a Philippine ally following recent reports of harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“Alliances are best seen by the actions of a people. You are not a reliable ally. Hindi dapat pakialaman yan, you are unfriendly,” he said in a statement.

Article continues after this advertisement

Gordon expressed dismay over the “unfriendly” acts of members of the Chinese coast guard, who were caught boarding Filipino boats and seizing the catch of the fishermen in the disputed sea.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: Chinese Embassy investigating alleged harassment of Filipino fishermen

“The fishermen are not threats. That is an unfriendly act to Asia. You are not a reliable ally or a friend. We are not enemies of China but you are treating us as if we are interlopers in our own country,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

Gordon added that China should be reminded that, at the very least, the ownership of that area is still being disputed.

Article continues after this advertisement

A United Nations-backed tribunal ruled that Panatag Shoal was a traditional fishing ground of Filipinos, Chinese, and Vietnamese fishermen.

Article continues after this advertisement

Gordon said the country should beef up the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to defend and protect the territories of the country.

“That is for us, that is our land. Hindi lang natin maipairal dahil kulang tayo sa barko. We have to build our Navy, we have to build our Air Force, we have to have submarines para meron tayong ipantapat. Hindi naman kailangang malaki, basta meron lang tayong panlaban,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

If the bullying would continue, Gordon said the Philippines would be “forced to form alliances with Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand or perhaps the United States.” /ee

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: China harassment, Filipino fishermen, Panatag Shoal, Senator Richard Gordon

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.