MANILA — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged to get things done in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) based on what is right, not on might.

In a statement, the senator emphasized the essentials of wisdom and pushed that people should look to the past and learn from history in coming up with an effective and comprehensive West Philippine Sea strategy.

“In resolving the issues of the West Philippine Sea and our relationship with China, we need to have an aggressive and sincere effort to have direct negotiations as well as confidence-building measures with China. This is in order to jumpstart a joint approach to the West Philippines Sea dilemma that will see peace and stability in the short term as we work towards an acceptable solution in the long term,” the senator said.

The Senator stated that China and the Philippines both have a lot to gain from keeping the region stable.

After the COVID pandemic, all ASEAN countries are trying hard to recover economically, and to do that, they need peace, order, and stability for steady progress and development.

“We cannot be ignorant of geopolitics. We must be conscious of, and sensitive to the dynamics of rival superpowers, yet be assertive that superpowers should not force upon us their way of doing things in the region,” Cayetano said.

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Cayetano said that as elected leaders of the nation, it is their duty to get things done the right way,  highlighting the need for wisdom and careful consideration to achieve this.

He insisted on honestly examining the past and learning from history when creating a national strategy.

“The Senate must continue the discussion on the West Philippine Sea. Maturity is needed not only in how we approach the problem but also in how we contextualize our approach and strategy. In this regard, I believe not bringing this matter to the UN General Assembly is NOT a sign of weakness but a mark of maturity,” Cayetano said.

“It is also not true that there is no other choice, nor that the Government is not doing anything. In fact the UNGA option has been discussed many times in the past, and many experts have said that it will not help the Philippines’ cause and might even weaken our position,” the senator added.

The senator further stated, “We are already on very firm ground based on International Law from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and The Hague arbitration award. If we bring this matter before the United Nations General Assembly, anything less than a unanimous vote will only weaken our position and clutter the issues.”

“The UNGA is not a venue of enforcement. The Philippine government’s problem has never been who is “right,” rather it is who has the “might” to enforce ‘the right’. Let us continue to pray and support our frontliners who bear the burden and risk their lives in protecting our lives and sovereignty,” Cayetano said.

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros in a statement on Monday, asserted that ‘now is the time’ to bring the West Philippine Sea issue to the UNGA, given that more nations have expressed solidarity with the Philippines’ 2016 Arbitral Award.

More and more nations are recognizing our legitimate rights in the West Philippine Sea, so why not seize this opportunity now?

“Government cannot do nothing. Araw-araw ang pambabastos ng Tsina sa ating karagatan at sa ating mga mamamayan. Ipakita naman ng gubyerno na kinakampihan natin ang Pilipino, hindi ang Tsina,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros principally sponsored Proposed Senate Resolution 659, which calls on the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to raise China’s continuous harassment of Philippine vessels to the UNGA.

The resolution was then co-sponsored by Senate President Migz Zubiri, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and Sen. Raffy Tulfo.

However, the Senate did not yet adopt the resolution, as some members of the body requested for a closed-door meeting to further discuss the issue.

“As I said on the floor, I am willing to accept amendments. But the resolution should still urge the Executive to exhaust all diplomatic means at our disposal, specifically bringing the issue to a larger international body, including the UNGA. Dapat maliwanag na may gagawing aksyon. We should not yield to China’s threats and intimidation,” the senator said.

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According to the statement, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, 16 member-states of the European Union, and India, among others have expressed and reaffirmed their support for the arbitral ruling.

The senator also reiterated that bringing the issue to the UNGA would not be a new course of action.

She stated that Nicaragua had similarly sought the opinion of the UNGA after the United States of America failed to comply with an International Court of Justice ruling that ordered the US to end her actions against Nicaragua.

The UNGA adopted Nicaragua’s resolution.

“When a weaker state is pushed into a corner by a stronger state, it is only sensible that the weaker state build and mobilize the widest international consensus possible. Tiwala ako sa DFA na kaya nila itong simulan sa lalong madaling panahon,” Hontiveros stated.

“A UNGA resolution could complement our beautiful victory at the Hague, which is complete in and of itself. Papalakasin lang niya ang ating nauna nang panalo. We cannot delay pursuing any and all options. Buhay at hanapbuhay ng mga Pilipino ang nakataya dito,” she added.