Senate ‘superminority’ presses gov’t to do more to defend PH territory

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — For the so-called “superminority” bloc in the Senate, the government can do more than just making a promise not to abandon a square inch of the country’s territory.

The promise was made by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself when he delivered his first state of the nation address (Sona) on Monday.

“Okay yung stance na ganun [That kind of stance is ok], defend the Hague ruling,  okay din yun [that’s also ok] because we should be proud that the Philippines contributed to the development of international maritime law,” Pimentel said in a joint  press conference at the Senate on Tuesday.

Pimentel, however, believes the Marcos administration can do more to protect and defend the Philippine territory.

Since the Department of Foreign  Affairs (DFA) is active in treaty making, the Minority Leader said the Philippines can make a proposal to prohibit the militarization of an island or rock, which is a subject of international disagreement or dispute.

“It should be prohibited by treaty, law to militarize such a maritime feature,” said Pimentel, who headed the Senate committee on foreign relations during the last Congress.

“Wala yan eh,” he added, “Kaya nga ang attitude pa nga nung tribunal if it is militarized hands off na kami because it’s militarized. So maybe the DFA can champion such a cause in the treaty making processes na ina-attendan nila or tayo mismo ang manawagan dun.”

(That’s nothing. That is why the tribunal has an hands-off attitude when it is militarized.)

“So that’s one way. And then it’s time to pound on the Hague ruling and look for allies na tutulong sa atin on that [that will help us],” he further said.

Hontiveros, for her part, questioned the President’s latest pronouncements.

“Maaga ring sinabi ni Presidente  na ia-uphold nila yung Hague ruling  na pagkapanalo natin laban sa China. Soon after may sinabi din silang gusto nilang itaas sa higher level  yung relasyon ng Pilipinas  sa China. So paano mag- i square off yun?” she said  in the same briefing.

(The President earlier said he would uphold the Hague ruling where we won against China. Soon after, they mentioned about  raising the Philippines’ relations to China to a higher level. So how will that square off?)

After saying in his Sona that  he would not allow the country to lose  any part of its territory, Marcos also said  that “the Philippines shall continue to be a friend to all. And an enemy to none.”

“Kahapon okay yung sinabi nila na hindi  isusuko ang kahit isang pulgada ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas sa ibang bansa. Syempre ang pulgada, unit of measurement sa lupa yun. So okay kung lalahatin na nila at yung bawat ounce o litro ng tubig sa dagat ay hindi isusuko kahit kanino man,” Hontiveros went on.

(Yesterday, the statement that they will not  give an inch  of the Philippine territory to   other nations is okay.  Of course an inch is a unit of measurement of  a land. So it would be okay if  they will cover everything  and they will not also surrender an ounce or a liter of our maritime waters.)

At the start of the presscon, Pimentel  called him and Hontiveros the “superminority bloc” of the Senate.

JPV