Romualdez raises Chinese aggression at WPS before world parliamentarians

The escalating Chinese aggression and rhetoric over the West Philippine Sea was raised by House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the 29th Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Madrid, Spain, where he reaffirmed the Philippines' unwavering commitment to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award that categorically recognized the country’s sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and rejected China’s sweeping maritime claims.

- By ELLSON QUISMORIO

“We categorically reject attempts to undermine our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction through coercion or disinformation,” Romualdez told fellow parliamentarians from all over the world. “Let me be clear: the Philippines remains steadfast in protecting our rights and entitlements in the West Philippine Sea by upholding international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.”

The Speaker's remarks came amid reports a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship fired water cannon and sideswiped a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel in Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) in the West Philippine Sea where it was conducting a marine scientific research initiative.

Deeply regrettable The National Maritime Council (NMC) slammed China's unsafe acts.

"It is deeply regrettable that while the Philippines' lawful and routine maritime operations have not been provocative, these have been met by a pattern of coercive actions, unsafe conduct and blatant disinformation by Chinese maritime forces," the NMC said on Friday, May 23.

The BRP Datu Sanday (MMOV 3002) and BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003) of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) were conducting a routine marine scientific research mission in the vicinity of Pag-asa Cay 2 (Sandy Cay) when the dangerous maneuver happened.