House Speaker Martin Romualdez | PHOTO: Official website of the House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — China’s rejection of the Philippine House of Representatives’ resolution condemning its illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea is “disheartening,” according to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Last Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China rejected House Resolution No. 1494, claiming that the written motion has “groundlessly criticized, misrepresented and smeared” the country.
In response, Romualdez urged the government “to defend sovereign rights over the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.”
“China’s rejection of the resolution is disheartening, especially in light of its continued illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea, a clear violation of the Arbitral Award,” the lawmaker said in a statement on Sunday.
Citing the resolution, Romualdez likewise maintained that “China’s construction of artificial islands and militarization of the area demonstrates a disregard for international law and poses a threat to regional stability.”
READ: House adopts resolution condemning China aggression in West PH Sea
He added that the Philippines will continue to use diplomatic tools to address the Chinese aggression, revealing that they have filed over 400 diplomatic protests against China.
Moreover, Romualdez called on China “to respect our sovereignty, desist from infringing upon our rights, and engage in peaceful dialogue.”