Sen. Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Wednesday countered China’s claim that its proposals to manage the West Philippine Sea (WPS) row were “met with some kind of inaction” by the Philippine government.
But look who’s talking?
For Dela Rosa, it is Beijing who is sitting on the hundreds of diplomatic protests the Philippines has lodged against China’s continued harassments in the WPS.
READ: DFA questions disclosure of WPS talk details
“Nagre-reklamo sila na hindi tinatanggap natin yung mga proposal nila? E bago namin tanggapin yung mga proposal nyo, you also act on our protests, we have thousands, hundreds of protests na nila-lodge sa kanila di ba?” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.
(They’re complaining that we’re not accepting their proposals? But before we accept your proposals, you should also act on our protests. We have thousands, hundreds of protests that they’ve lodged against them, right?)
“Gusto nila aksyunan yung mga gusto nila, aksyunan nila yung gusto natin. Hindi naman one-way yung relationship natin dapat,” he added.
Dela Rosa once headed the Philippines’ police force during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier confirmed receiving “various maritime-related proposals” from China last year but said most of them went against the Philippines’ national interest.
“In no way did the Philippine government ignore China’s proposals,” the DFA stressed in a statement on Tuesday.
In the same interview, Dela Rosa was asked about the sightings of more than 50 Chinese vessels in the WPS.
READ: Over 50 Chinese ships, fishing boats spotted in West Philippine Sea
This news, however, did not surprise him anymore.
“Alam naman natin na nadyan sila palagi (We know that they are always there),” he said.
“We’re running out of options on how to deal with it,” Dela Rosa added.
The senator was nevertheless comforted by the fact that the situation in the West Philippine Sea is now getting international intention and that China’s harassments are being exposed.