Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Vice presidential candidate Vicente Sotto III is offering “doable” solutions against the “stealing” of the country’s fish and territory as he criticized other aspirants over what he called “motherhood statements” on the West Philippine Sea issue.
“Naririnig ko, ‘yung mga ibang kandidato, kandidatong senador, kandidato ng kung anu-anong position , ‘pag tinatanong sa West Philippine Sea, puro motherhood statements naririnig ko eh. Walag specific eh. Kami may detalye eh,” said the incumbent Senate President, who is running in the May polls with Senator Panfilo Lacson as his president, during a DZRH interview aired Tuesday.
(From what I’ve heard from other candidates, running for senator, or for whatever position, when they’re asked about the West Philippine Sea, I keep hearing motherhood statements. Nothing specific. In our case, we have details.)
“Hindi tayo dapat pumayag nininakawan tayo ng isda, ninanakaw ang teritoryo natin, hindi pwede ‘yan. ‘Yung sinasabi kong mga solution, doable,” he added.
(We should not accept that our fish, our territory is being stolen. That can’t be. The solutions I came up with, they’re doable.)
These “doable” solutions, he said, include the bill he filed defining the Philippines’ maritime zones that is similar to China’s nine-dash claim.
“May nine-dash line ang China, tayo wala tayo? Inasahan natin ‘yung UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Tapos ‘yung arbitral ruling,” Sotto added.
(China has a nine-dash line, but we don’t have something similar? We relied on UNCLOS. As well as the arbitral ruling.)
In 2013, the Philippines filed a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in the Netherlands challenging China’s sweeping claim of nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.
READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea
The PCA ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 invalidating China’s nine-dash line claim. Beijing has repeatedly refused to recognize the ruling.
“Finile ko ‘yung [bill] establishing the maritime zones… deklarado ‘yung internal waters natin, archipelagic waters natin, territorial seas, exclusive economic zones,” Sotto continued.
(I filed the bill establishing the maritime zones…declaring our internal waters, archipelagic waters, our territorial seas, exclusive economic zones.)
Aside from the proposed law, Sotto also said that if he and Lacson are elected, “structures” should be built in disputed areas within the West Philippine Sea.
“Subukan ng kapitbahay natin na galawin, ‘pag ginalaw nila papasok ang Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT),” Sotto said.
(Our neighbors just try to touch it, and if they do, that will trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty.)
The MDT is a pact between the Philippines and the United States which calls for both nations to come to each other’s defense in case of an armed attack.
“Kung gobyerno ang maglalagay, kasi ‘yun ang nakalagay sa ating agreement, sa ating MDT at saka dun sa EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement), ang nakalagay dun pag gobyerno ang pag-aari, ginalaw, ang kalaban nila ‘yung big brother at ‘yung mga allied countries,” he said.
(If the structures are put up by the government, because that is what is stated in our agreement, in the MDT and EDCA, once an attack is made against the government’s facilities, they will have to answer to the big brother and the allied countries.)
Sotto further suggested entering into joint exploration agreements with other countries like Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
“As long as ang papasukan natin is 60-40, 60 tayo. Ibig sabihin, atin,” he added.
(As long as what we enter into is a 60-40 agreement, we get 60 percent. That means it’s ours.)
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