- ‘PH must lead, then US supports’
- De La Salle professors weigh in
The Philippines must take the lead in protecting the West Philippine Sea from China as the United States would support it, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Monday.
Romualdez told ANC’s Headstart: “The Philippines [has] to take the lead. Any moves that are being made will have to come from the Philippines and the US will support it, for instance the joint patrolling of the area.”
This developed as 32 professors from De La Salle University condemned China’s moves in the disputed waterway and called on the government to protect Philippine sovereignty in the WPS from Chinese incursions.
“We condemn the continuous acts of aggression and intrusions from the government of the People’s Republic of China into our exclusive economic zone in the WPS,” the 21 political science and 11 international studies professors said in a joint statement.
“We are equally appalled by the failure of our own government to effectively secure the sovereignty of the country,” they added.
Romualdez said that if anything were to happen to the Philippines in the WPS, “the United States is also very much obligated, and they have clearly stated that they will but it will take the Philippines to take the lead.”
“In other words, they will not make any move unless the Philippines says so,” the envoy said.
The United States has several times said it would uphold its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and support Southeast Asian countries resisting Beijing’s pressure in the South China Sea.
The professors, meanwhile, called on President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfill his campaign promise to protect the West Philippine Sea from Chinese threats.
“It is high time that our government values our nation’s patrimony. The Chief Executive must genuinely show the resolve that he promised during his 2016 presidential campaign in doing so he will fulfill his constitutional duty,” the professors said.
During his campaign, Duterte promised to ride a jet ski to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) to defend the sovereign rights of the Philippines against China.
But only a few months later, the President said it was just an exaggeration.
The professors also reminded Duterte to refrain from claiming that war is the only way to protest against China.
“While the government has belatedly invoked the Hague ruling and filed diplomatic protests, the President should disabuse himself from the simplistic notion that the only other option is to antagonize China and risk war,” the professors added.