Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday said he cannot second-guess who will oppose the proposed Senate resolution to elevate Chinese incursions to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He said 95 percent of the senators agreed to pass a strongly-worded statement to China.
“That’s why we’re going to pass a resolution recommending it to our government agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs and the President himself that we should file all the evidence (including videos) in the last seven years,” Zubiri said.
He said this will form part of the evidence that the senators will submit to UNGA. This will show that the Chinese “what they’ve been doing is building, reclaiming islands, building bases,” he said.
Zubiri also said these are bases carrying missiles and ships all around the areas that are part of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines as declared by the arbitral ruling in 2016.
“So we have to go back to the United Nations, show them that this is not being respected,” he said.
“China may not do anything, or they may ignore these, but we’ll let the international community know what is happening here near our shores in the Philippines, within our EEZ,” he further stated.
He also called neighbors in China to get out of the country’s territory. “Get out of our territory. It makes no sense it is so illogical,” he said
Zubiri also challenged the government of China to look at the map.
“I have a map with me here. I bring this visual all the time with me and I show it to people. It is very simple. Look at the map of the Philippines, where is Recto Bank?”
He pointed out that Recto Bank is 80 nautical miles in Palawan, right beside Palawan, and it’s 80 nautical miles from mainland Philippines.
“Where is China? China is 600 nautical miles away from this area,” he said.
And yet, he said, China is claiming they own the whole area, which “makes no sense.”
Zubiri also cited the need to put a stop to this and push back. He further underscored the need to strengthen the country’s Navy and Coast Guard.