Newly adopted Senate resolution on WPS ‘stronger’ – Cayetano | Global News

Newly adopted Senate resolution on WPS ‘stronger’ – Cayetano

/ 06:35 AM August 02, 2023

Newly adopted Senate resolution on WPS ‘stronger’ – Cayetano

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Resolution No. 718 on the West Philippine Sea, which the Senate adopted on Monday, is a “stronger proposal” than Resolution No. 652, which was filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, according to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

“For me, it’s a stronger proposal because it’s broader [in scope] and it also takes into consideration contingencies,” Cayetano said, speaking partly in Filipino, in an interview with reporters on Monday.

Article continues after this advertisement

Last week, the Senate failed to vote on the adoption of Resolution No. 659  due to concerns raised by lawmakers. To settle these concerns, the chamber held a caucus.

FEATURED STORIES

According to Cayetano, that opened the door for the adoption of Resolution No. 718, which Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Hontiveros introduced.

“It’s so hard for 24 senators to agree… We would not have agreed if not for a deep discourse,” he added.

Article continues after this advertisement

On Monday, the Senate unanimously adopted Resolution No. 718 in a plenary session.

Article continues after this advertisement

The resolution condemns the continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and the persistent incursions in the West Philippines Sea by the Chinese coast guard and militia vessels.

Article continues after this advertisement

Under this resolution, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is expected to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone.

But if these efforts are continuously ignored by China and its navy and coast guard persist in harassing Filipino fisherfolk, the DFA is further urged to pursue the following:

Article continues after this advertisement
  • bring international attention to China’s harassment and its continued violation of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
  • use international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the arbitral ruling and raise awareness of the real situation in the West Philippine Sea
  • engage with like-minded countries to call on China to respect the ruling
  • file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly calling for the cessation of all harassment and violation of the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea

According to Cayetano, the government officials invited to the caucus enlightened all senators on what was really going on, what options were available, and what initiatives should be taken.

In a statement on Monday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri called the adoption of Resolution No. 718 a “strong consensus” among all senators.

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.

“I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government … and the beauty of this is, with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues, we have come out unanimous,” Zubiri said.

RELATED STORIES

PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea

Senators favor raising PH case vs China to UN

ATM
TAGS: Alan Peter Cayetano, arbitral ruling, Juan Miguel Zubiri, maritime dispute, PH-China Relations, Risa Hontiveros, Senate resolution on WPS

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.