Firing Line
tration should also inform
Robert B. Roque, Jr,
R.espect
!F China only understood
ldeeply the meaninq of
the word "respectl it would
not ignore the rights of its
Asian neighbors to their ter-
ritorial waters, build aftifi cial
islands, install facilities as it .
did in ourcountry and claim
it as their own.
China is now busy con-
structing a maritime rescue
center in the Kagitingan
Reef of the West phitippjne
Sea. Malacafrang said the
Philippines should perhaps
be thankful to China for the
establishment of a rescue
center since it could helo ev-
erybod, especially seamen
in distress in that area.
N4agdalo parv-tist Repre-
sentative Gary Alejano said
the Palace statement would
make it appear that our
country is recognizing and
agreeing to Chinat rioht
to occupy and qovern ihe
territory allegedly an t,act
of surrender". He disclosed
that there was no guarantee
thlt the supposed rescue
center was meant to help
troubled seamen since it
But, perhaps, the adminis-
could also be used for. assume that government
intelligence gathering and
faster deployment of ChF
nese military forces in the
area when needed.
Supreme Courl Justice
Antonio Carpio, an ad-
vocate of Manila,s rights
over the disputed waters,
said the government must
defend the territory where
China was buildinq the res-
cue center end should file
a note verbale concernino
the said activity.
Surprisingly, Foreion Af-
fairs Secretary Te6doro
Locsin Jr. revealed that
he was in total agreement
with the call to contest
China's construction efforts
in Kagitingan Reef and
even said that as a stac
we can thank China after
it raises the phitippine flaq
in the area. He also gave
assurance that the ad_
ministration has protested
China's activities in rhe
dlsputed watbrs.
We understand that Loc-
sin has his own wav of
dealing with the probiem.
the .public of its actions to
assure the people that it
has not neglected its duty
offighting for the country,s
sovereignty.
If no one is aware of the
administration's efforts.
the common tao m ighi
leaders are surrendering
the rights to our territory.
Worse, people miqht think
- that our leaders are selling
our territory clandestinelv
to foreigners,
China has been accused
of bullying Fllipinos, par-
ticularly the poor fisher-
men, in the West philippine
Sea in the past years.It has
built artificial islands and
militarized some of them.
The previous administration
filed a case against China,s
illegal activities which the
Philippines won in a United
Nations-backed arbittal
tribunal in 2016. Unfortu-
natel, China has iqnored
the ruling to this dat
***
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