THIS IS OURS Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel aboard BRP Cabra monitor Chinese vessels at Sabina Shoal west of Palawan province in this photo taken by the PCG on April 27. The Filipino crew informed the Chinese that they were inside the Philippines鈥� exclusive economic zone. The Chinese ships left as Cabra approached them. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Immediately convening the National Security Council (NSC) in order to come up with a united stand on the country鈥檚 maritime dispute with China would be a 鈥渢imely intervention,鈥� Senator Grace Poe said Thursday.
鈥淚t is high time that the whole of government comes up with a clear and united stand on the West Philippine Sea issue. The convening of the National Security Council ASAP would be a timely intervention,鈥� Poe said in a statement.
鈥淲e cannot be divided as a nation when we talk about our sovereignty. Protecting territorial integrity is so vital to a country鈥檚 survival that we must not confuse it with friendship or utang na loob,鈥� she added.
This, as she backed the call of former Senator Rodolfo Biazon to convene the NSC amid the Philippine government鈥檚 鈥渃onfusing鈥� stand on the West Philippine Sea issue.
鈥淭his is the country鈥檚 resources we are talking about. There shouldn鈥檛 be any debate as to whether we should protect it or not. There is only one constitutional answer鈥攚e should. The only thing left for us to discuss now is how,鈥� Poe went on.
Biazon, also a former Armed Forces chief, earlier personally went to the Senate to call for the convening of the NSC.
鈥淭he NSC can provide us, the Filipino people, everybody鈥攊ncluding the policymakers, national policymakers, national program implementers, and our people鈥� a very clear projection of a clear, united national position on this,鈥� Biazon said in an interview in the Senate.
鈥淏ecause right now, we are confused and that is dangerous. We are not only confusing ourselves, we are also confusing potential allies in our pursuit of our national interests in the area. We are confusing our policymakers and program implementers,鈥� he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte has earned criticisms over what many see as 鈥渃onfusing鈥� remarks on the West Philippine Sea issue.
These pronouncements include him calling the Philippine鈥檚 victory against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague a 鈥減iece of paper鈥� that could be thrown away in the wastebasket.
Duterte also denied promising to retake the West Philippine Sea during his 2016 campaign, saying he was only joking when he said he would ride a jet ski to the Spratlys to plant a Philippine flag there.
Despite this, the President insisted that the disputed waters belong to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Duterte鈥檚 foreign affairs and defense chiefs have been issuing strong statements against China鈥檚 recent actions in the area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been filing numerous diplomatic protests against China, the most recent one being Beijing鈥檚 鈥渦nilateral imposition鈥澛� of a fishing ban in the South China Sea, which covers parts of the West Philippine Sea.