Poe hopes President discusses West PH Sea issue in 2nd SONA

Sen. Grace Poe presided over a Senate inquiry in this file photo taken on April 12, 2023. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe hopes the West Philippine Sea (WPS) concerns would be part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying that it is highly plausible since the Chief Executive talked about it last year.

During the Kapihan sa Senado on Wednesday, Poe said that it would be nice to know what kind of cooperation was done to defend the country’s territorial waters under Marcos’ first year in office.

“I think, ‘di ba kasi ‘yong first Sona niya sabi niya (during his first Sona he said that) […] we will not surrender an inch.  So perhaps he might mention also the different cooperations with other countries in terms of patrolling our economic zone ‘di ba,” she said.

“I don’t know what the President will put in his Sona but it would be nice to hear the developments with regards to protecting our national sovereignty,” she added.

Poe also complimented the current administration for its improved stand on the WPS issue, as the President himself insists that the country would not give up an inch of its territory to foreign powers.

“I think mas may improvement ah, first of all galing mismo sa executive, meron sila talagang statement na they’re not going to surrender an inch of a territory,” she said.

(I think there is an improvement, first of all these statements came from the executive branch itself, they have a statement that they’re not going to surrender an inch of a territory.)

“Now we have cooperations, may balikatan tayo, mga exercises na gano’n, Japan has been very active in supporting our national Coast Guard […] pero dito nga sa Balikatan at least nag-uumpisa ulit, so meron namang improvement.  Pero siguro mas pwede pang palawakin ‘yan,” she added.

(Now we have cooperation with other countries, the Balikatan exercises are present, Japan has been very active in supporting our national Coast Guard […] regarding Balikatan, at least it has resumed, so there is an improvement.  But maybe we can widen its scope.)

The senator was referring to the President’s first SONA in 2022, where the latter said that he will not allow “any process that will abandon even a square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power”.

READ: PH won’t give up even a square inch of territory – Bongbong Marcos 

Earlier this year, at the homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City, Marcos reiterated this stand, saying that no Philippine territory would be lost despite geopolitical tensions.

READ: Marcos: Philippines will not lose one inch of its territory 

The discussions about the WPS originated from questions about the call to ban the movie “Barbie,” over its alleged use of the nine-dash line — the symbol of China’s territorial claim on the WPS, which includes parts of the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

Poe said that while it is good to talk about the Philippines’ territorial claims, the movie in question is merely fiction, adding that it does not even show where the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries are.

She also explained that the lines on the map merely indicate where the protagonist — Barbie — has traveled to.

READ: Poe urges public: Scrutinize Barbie film first before issuing statements 

JPV