A Philippine supply boat sails near a Chinese Coast Guard ship during a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. (File photo from REUTERS/Adrian Portugal)
MANILA, Philippines — China’s recent water cannon attack in the West Philippine Sea prompted two senators to call on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to “take all necessary actions to stop” all harassment and threats in Philippine waters.
READ: PH vessel sustains ‘heavy damage’ in Chinese coast guard attack
In a statement on Wednesday, Senator Risa Hontiveros renewed her call to bring China’s aggression before the United Nations General Assembly.
“I support DFA’s lodging of a strong protest against this recent harassment, but I also call on the Department to expedite the filing of a resolution in the UN General Assembly that calls on China to stop this blatant violence in Philippine waters,” said Hontiveros.
READ: UN should tell China to ‘behave’ in West Philippine Sea – Hontiveros
Hontiveros likewise emphasized the need for the government to “gather our neighbors in Southeast Asia,” particularly Vietnam and Malaysia to stand with the Philippines as these nations also face “security threats and assaults” from China.
‘Pay and be ashamed’
Apart from these, the opposition senator demanded that China pay for all the damage that their aggression has caused.
“Dapat bayaran din ng Tsina ang pagsira niya sa mga barkong binombahan niya ng tubig, pati na ang pagpapagamot sa mga Pilipinong sinaktan niya. Isabay narin ang pagbayad sa milyon-milyong halaga ng likas-yaman na winasak niya,” said Hontiveros.
(China should also pay for the destruction of the ships it bombarded with water, as well as the treatment of the Filipinos it harmed. Let’s also include on this list the millions-worth of natural resources that it destroyed.)
“To China, you should be ashamed. Stop behaving like a criminal. Have some decency. It’s not too late to act like a dignified country,” she stressed.
‘Inhumane, illegal’
In a separate statement also issued Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva tagged China’s continuing aggression as “inhumane, illegal, and barbaric.”
“We will file and sponsor a resolution calling on the DFA to take all necessary actions to stop these incidents, and update the Senate on the actions taken relative to the recommendations of the Senate in our Adopted Resolution No. 79, considering the non-stop harassment of the CCG on the PCG and the Philippine Navy, and even Filipino researchers in the area,” said Villanueva.
Villanueva reiterated the words on the Philippines’ national anthem, urging Filipinos to take it by heart.
“Sa manlulupig, hindi ka pasisiil. Sama-sama po nating ipaglaban ang nararapat,” he said.
(We will not be oppressed by the conqueror. Let’s fight together for what is right.)