Ni NOEL ABUEL
Naghain ng resolusyon si House Deputy Majority Leader at ACT-CIS party list Rep. Erwin Tulfo na humihimok sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na mag-sponsor ng resolusyon sa United Nations General Assembly na nananawagan sa China na itigil ang ilegal na gawain sa West Philippine Sea.
Sa pamamagitan ng House Resolution No. 1766, sinabi ni Tulfo na ito ay alinsunod sa UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at sa 2016 ruling ng Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“The landmark decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Case No. 2013-19, known as Republic of the Philippines vs. People’s Republic of China, conclusively invalidated the Chinese government’s expansive claims under the so-called “ninedash line,” declaring such to be incompatible with the provisions of the UNCLOS, thus upholding the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ and continental shelf in the WPS,” sa resolusyon.
“China has steadfastly refused to acknowledge and comply with the arbitration award, persisting in its increasingly unlawful actions in the WPS, including the harassment of Philippine vessels and construction of artificial islands equipped with military installations, airstrips, and other strategic infrastructure within Philippine waters,” dagdag ni Tulfo.
“This year alone, aggressive maneuvers and water cannon attacks by Chinese vessels against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Filipino fisherfolk underscore China’s blatant disregard for international law and the legal maritime rights of the Philippines, thereby diminishing our territorial integrity and compromising regional stability and security,” aniya pa.
Nitong Mayo 15, 2024 lamang, inihayag ng China ang “Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Procedures for Coast Guard Agencies,” na epektibo sa Hunyo 15, 2024, na nagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa Coast Guard ng China na magdetine ng mga dayuhan na pinaghihinalaang “illegal entry” sa kanilang karagatan nang hanggang sa 60 na araw nang walang paglilitis.
“This further exacerbates the already volatile situation and poses a direct challenge to well-settled international maritime laws and principles,” ani Tulfo.
Ayon pa kay Tulfo, ang naturang resolusyon ay base na rin sa kamakailang pahayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ukol sa kagustuhan ng bansa na maresolusyunan ang problema sa WPS sa pamamagitan ng dialogue at diplomasya.
“In pursuit of the stance of the President before the international community, it is thus imperative for the Philippine Government, through the DFA, to assert its rights over the WPS and intensify diplomatic efforts to obtain international support against China’s unlawful acts,” giit ni Tulfo.
Ayon pa kay Tulfo, ang paglapit sa UN ang isa na lamang natatanging solusyon para maipatupad ang 2016 arbitral ruling.
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