Lacson backs PRRD’s call on Western allies to help PH vs. China

Lacson also said it is a good development that the President has corrected himself by saying he cannot prevent incursions of foreign fishing vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone. (File photo: Senator Ping Lacson/Facebook)

MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the United States and other Western countries to help the Philippines make a stand against China and claim its territories in the disputed South China Sea.

In a statement, Lacson said Duterte’s call on western allies to help check on China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is “proper” given the prevailing circumstances, contrary to critics’ claims that such move is a “sure formula” for war.

“Maintaining the balance of power in the WPS will prevent rather than ignite a war. Why? No two superpowers would go to war in this day and age of nuclear technology for the simple reason of its ‘zero-sum’ outcome,” Lacson said.

Duterte challenged the United States, Great Britain, and France to “assemble” and help the country assert its claim over the WPS after clearly being frustrated by criticism that he has failed to confront China over its aggression in the contested waters.

Lacson also said it is a good development that the President has corrected himself by saying he cannot prevent incursions of foreign fishing vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“Because even if he wants to, we don’t have the capability nor the capacity to do it, not to mention that the arbitral ruling is unenforceable in the first place; and that the Philippines merely exercises sovereign right, not sovereignty over the areas within the EEZ,” Lacson said.

“I agree with the President in this regard. Having said that, to allow is not the same as not being able to prevent,” he added.

Duterte has reiterated that he has no way of stopping China from fishing within the EEZ because the latter has insisted its claims on the area despite the arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines.

“We cannot drive them away because they have insisted na kanila (that is theirs). Tayo, idinemanda natin ang China panahon ni Aquino, which was right. Nanalo tayo, sabi ng arbitral court, ‘sa Pilipinas ‘yan’ (We filed a case against China during the time of Aquino, which was right. We won and the arbitral court ruled ‘that belongs to the Philippines’),” Duterte said.

Despite the arbitral ruling, Duterte said the Philippines was not given sovereignty and that no country in the world has sovereignty over their EEZ.

“Hindi ibinigay sa atin ‘yung (We were not given) sovereignty. Our sovereignty is only 12 miles. Ang (The) economic zone, wala tayong (we don’t have) sovereignty. No country in the world has sovereignty sa kanyang (within its) economic zone — exclusive. It is not a question of sovereignty,” Duterte said.