Put West PH Sea issue on UN agenda, senator urges DFA

Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino —Senate PRIB

Sen. Francis Tolentino on Friday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to immediately make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the proposal for the Philippines to raise China’s violation of the arbitral ruling would be taken up in the next UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in September.

“We have to be aware that before the [UNGA] accepts a resolution, it has to be part of i[ts] agenda,” Tolentino said in a television interview.

“And to include that in the agenda-making process of the [UNGA], it would take time and preparation. We should have started this in February because the [UNGA] meeting [will have its] preliminary agenda by August,” he said.

The senator noted that the Philippines’ possible action against China would have to contend with other pressing international issues, such as Russia’s ongoing invasion in Ukraine.

The country’s representative to the UN, Ambassador Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, should now start doing the initial groundwork by coordinating with the international body’s secretariat, according to Tolentino.

China’s illegal actions

“[We have] to inform them of [the Philippines’] intent to bring this matter to the UNGA with, of course, the concurrence of [President Marcos],” he said.

Tolentino was among the senators supporting the resolution filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros that called on the DFA to elevate China’s illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea before the UN’s main policy-making body.

Hontiveros’ resolution was based on the recommendation of retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who lent his legal expertise when the Philippines filed the arbitration case against China in 2013.

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