Senator Joel Villanueva. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Senator Joel Villanueva has warned against relying on China’s “good faith,” following its ongoing militarization of artificial islands on the Spratly archipelago.
“It will not be enough to rely solely on ‘good faith’ on the part of China. We have to consistently express and stand by our sovereign rights,” Villanueva said in a statement on Wednesday.
Villanueva noted that in December last year, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque downplayed the said Chinese construction in the West Philippine Sea saying that the Philippines would still rely on China’s “good faith.”
On Monday, though, an Inquirer exclusive report revealed aerial photographs showing China’s building of runways, military facilities, and stationary weapons on Kagitingan Reef, Calderon, Burgos, Mabini, Panganiban, Zamora, and McKennan reefs.
READ: EXCLUSIVE: New photos show China is nearly done with its militarization of South China Sea
Villanueva said China’s militarization has been ongoing despite the ruling of United Nations (UN)-backed tribunal favoring the Philippines’ claim to exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea.
The senator has, likewise, implored the government and the Filipino people to uphold and demand their “claim of rightful ownership” over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
“We implore the government and the entirety of the Filipino nation to continuously uphold and express our claim of rightful ownership over the West Philippine Sea. Through concrete solidarity in expressing our rightful claim, we can continue fully exercising our sovereign rights,” he stressed
“We sincerely urge everyone to champion our claim to the West Philippine Sea. Our victories in international arbitration have proven the validity of our claims to the area. We should maximize these gains to solve the issues in the West Philippine Sea,” he added. /jpv