Bayan Muna solon accuses Palace of showing biases on Fox plight, West PH Sea issue

Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate (CDN PHOTO/CHOY ROMANO)

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate has questioned the current administration’s “double standards” in the treatment of Sister Patricia Fox’s deportation case and the Chinese militarization of the West Philippine Sea.

“While the Chinese military is acting as if it owns the West Philippine Sea, the government is doing nothing to stop its aggressive action. Yet it is very quick to deport someone like Sr. Pat who is standing against exploitation and oppression in the country,” Zarate said in a statement on Thursday.

The lawmaker was referring to a recent Inquirer report where an aerial view showed two Chinese military planes landed on the island in Panganiban reef, which is located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

READ: China military planes land on PH reef

Zarate also chided Malacañang’s alleged tendency to side with foreign entities, claiming that foreign chambers of commerce were openly suggesting changes to the Constitution.

“It is tragically ironic as it is highly condemnable that Sr. Pat who is siding with farmers and the Lumads in defending their right to their lands is now being asked by the Duterte administration to leave,” Zarate said.

“But, in the same breadth, foreigners, businessmen especially, who openly advocate or even lobby for the amendment or revision, deletion or scrapping, of the protectionist and nationalist provisions of our Constitution are being welcome with open arms by the administration,” Zarate added. /jpv