‘Welcome’ banners could be part of demolition job vs admin – Escudero

The red banners describing the Philippines as a province of China hanging in some Metro Manila pedestrian overpasses could be part of a demolition job against the administration.

Senator Francis Escudero, who belongs to the Senate majority bloc, raised this suspicion on Thursday when asked about the banners that read: “Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China.”

READ: ‘Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China’ banners hung on footbridges

“Tingin nyo sinong naglagay nyan? Dalawang bagay lang naman yan, kakampi ng administrasyon o kalaban?” Escudero said during a weekly forum at the Senate.

The senator was certain though that this “propaganda” could have not come from the administration.

“Nakakaasar na propaganda pero tiyak ko hindi yan galing sa administration dahil para nilang binaon yung sarili nila kung sila ang naglagay nyan so malamang bahagi ito ng paninira laban sa administration,” Escudero said.

The senator said he would leave it to the administration to defend itself.

Photos of the tarpaulins have circulated in social media as the country commemorates the second anniversary of its victory at The Hague over China.

In July 2016, the United Nations (UN) Arbitral Tribunal ruled that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and that China’s “nine-dash line” claim was invalid. /muf

READ: Philippines wins arbitration case vs. China over South China Sea