Senators to brief PBBM on adopted SRN 718

In a press briefing, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said all 24 senators were invited by President Marcos over a private dinner where he believes various issues will be taken up including the SRN 718. (File photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The Senate confirmed on Wednesday that all senators are set to brief President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the recently adopted Senate Resolution No. 718, which condemns the harassment of Chinese vessels to Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a press briefing, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said all 24 senators were invited by President Marcos over a private dinner where he believes various issues will be taken up including the SRN 718.

“Actually, matagal na kasing nagtatanong si Presidente kung kelan kami magdi-dinner, magmi-meeting (The President has been asking when we will have dinner with him, to have a meeting) and in fairness, he invited all senators. Senator Koko (Pimentel III) and Senator Risa (Hontiveros), they were both invited also. So, when he asked me who to invite, I said invite all senators. In that way, you can have nice discussions, dialogue, dinner with the executive,” Zubiri told reporters.

“Ime-mention lang namin kasi it’s a casual dinner so ayoko namang maging working dinner siya pero may kopya na si (We will just mention that it’s just a casual dinner and I don’t want it to be like a working dinner, but we already gave a copy to) (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Enrique) Manalo. It’s a private dinner. It’s a get-together with the President,” he added when asked if SRN 718 will be included in the discussions.

Zubiri said by adopting SRN 718, the Senate gives the national government the “ammunition” to bring the issue to various international gatherings.

“Say [to foreign counterparts] ‘let’s work together to come up with a code of conduct’ and hopefully, push back these militia forces and coast guard units outside our very exclusive economic zone,” he said.

The Senate President also clarified that SRN 718 gives the national government a lot of options on how to address the WPS issue.

“We are urging them and asking them to take this up to international fora. Kasi kung hindi po natin ito ilalabas, panay diplomatic protest lang ang pinapadala natin, walang may nakakaalam na may diplomatic protest sa ibang bansa (Because if we will not let this out, we will just keep on sending diplomatic protests and other countries don’t know about it),” Zubiri said.

“Hindi po alam yan ng ASEAN. Hindi nila alam na araw-araw nagpapadala tayo ng diplomatic protest pero kung meron tayong international fora na pinapakita natin itong ginawa nila: ni-laser tag tayo, hinaharang yung mga coast guard vessels natin, yung supply ships papunta ng Ayungin Shoals para magpadala ng pagkain sa ating mga Marines na naka-station diyan. Eh dapat malaman nila at siguro magagalit din po sila, at maawa naman po sila sa ating bansa (Even the ASEAN don’t know about it. They don’t know that we send diplomatic protests everyday but if we bring it in international fora showing what they do to us: being laser-tagged, blocking our coast guard vessels, and food supplies going to Ayungin Shoals for our Marines stationed there. They should know about it and maybe angered by it, and symphatize with our country),” he added.

Zubiri said many countries already feel the same way citing the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, the ASEAN, and many European countries.

“Gusto nila na itong mga area na ito ay may freedom of navigation, na libre pong makadaan diyan nang walang mangha-harass, manghuhuli, o mang-aatake sa kanila (They also want this area to have freedom of navigation, that anyone can traverse there freely without any harassment, apprehension, or attack),” he said pointing out that even the Philippines is not claiming the WPS for its exclusive use in accordance with the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Sponsored by Zubiri and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, SRN 718 was adopted by the Senate on Tuesday with the rest of the 22 senators made co-author of the measure.

It urges the Philippine government to take appropriate action in asserting and securing the country’s sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf and also calls on China to stop its illegal activities in accordance with the UNCLOS and the 2016 Ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.