“We should assert our sovereignty, not by waging a war against China,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Sunday as he urged the Senate to take a stand on the invasion of Philippine territories amid China’s military activities in South China Sea.
“I condemn the continuous violation of the arbitration award, of the international rules,” Drilon said in an interview over DZBB. “We must condemn [China’s] creeping invasion of our territory and sovereignty.”
Drilon expressed alarm over the reported landing of Chinese bombers planes on an island in the South China Sea.
READ: China military planes land on PH reef
The Senate on Monday may elect Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as Senate President, replacing Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
“This is a challenge to the new leadership: we must assert the Senate’s role in foreign relations,” Drilon said.
READ: 14 senators sign draft resolution electing Sotto as next Senate leader
The minority leader said the new Senate leadership should be able to assert the Senate’s role as “a foreign policy partner of the President.”
“We should assert our sovereignty, not by waging a war against China – we cannot do that – but in other fora, we should be able to continue our campaign in order that we can retrieve those islands that have been occupied by China,” he said. /ee