MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri now wants the United States and the Philippines’ other allies to join the country’s resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal in the face of continued aggression by China.
“I’ve been saying do joint patrols. I’ve been saying that from day one,” Zubiri said in an interview over ABS-News Channel on Tuesday.
“Let’s put the money where their mouth is for our allies, particularly our friends in the United States. Join us in joint patrols. Join us when we do [a] resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal with the BRP Sierra Madre. Join us on this joint patrol. Let’s do it; let’s do it and let’s see,” he said.
Likening China to a “schoolyard bully,” Zubiri surmised Beijing may stop its harassment once it sees a “bigger classmate” joining the resupply mission.
“I don’t know if these bullies will, you know, just like a schoolyard bully, sometimes they back off when they see that there is a bigger classmate who will push them back. So that will be an option, that’s one option,” he pointed out.
The Senate leader believes President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is also “weighing that option.”
As the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy, however, Marcos would make sure that the Philippines would not be dragged into a war with China, Zubiri said.
“But sometimes we don’t have a choice. What are we gonna do? Just lie down and play dead and just say, okay, take over this whole West Philippine Sea? The hell do we care. No, because we do care. We love our country. We’re not gonna give up that territory…” he said.
“We don’t want war, but we should be prepared for it [if] anything happens,” Zubiri further said.
His remarks followed China’s latest firing of water cannons against Philippine vessels at the West Philippine Sea over the weekend.
The two separate water cannon attacks against Philippine vessels drew strong condemnation from various sectors and other countries, including the US.
Zubiri has even suggested the expulsion of Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian for his failure to address China’s continued attacks against Filipino troops.