SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday condemned “in the strongest terms the reckless and illegal maneuvers executed by the China Coast Guard against our Philippine Coast Guard vessels, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño, in the West Philippine Sea.”
“This brazen and unwarranted aggression resulted in dangerous collisions that could have led to tragic consequences,” Speaker Romualdez, a lawyer from University of the Philippines (UP), said in a statement.
Speaker Romualdez said China’s “deliberate actions of the China Coast Guard are a direct affront to our sovereignty and a blatant violation of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both the Philippines and China are signatories.”
The leader of the 300-plus-strong House of RepresentativesI called Beijing “to exercise restraint and cease all actions that endanger lives and violate international norms.”
“The path forward must be one of dialogue and mutual respect, not confrontation and aggression. The safety and security of our region depend on it,” he said.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to uphold the dignity and sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines. We will continue to work with our allies and partners to ensure that the rule of law prevails in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
He reminded China that the Philippines “has consistently upheld its commitment to peace and stability in the region, exercising maximum restraint despite repeated provocations.”
“However, these recent events are not mere incidents but part of a troubling pattern of behavior that escalates tensions and undermines the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
“It is incumbent upon us, as a nation, to stand firm in defending our rights and protecting our maritime domain,” he said.
Speaker Romualdez also urged the world community “to take cognizance of these dangerous actions that threaten not only regional stability but also freedom of navigation in these critical waters.”
“The Philippines will not be cowed by intimidation or coercion. Our Coast Guard vessels will continue their vital missions, including delivering supplies to our outposts in the West Philippine Sea, and we will not relent in our pursuit of protecting our national interests,” he said.
