Press Release
March 16, 2009

Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

SOUTH CHINA SEA INCIDENT

The Philippine government should not be alarmist in its reaction to the South China seas incident between a United States naval vessel and Chinese ships. Both the US and Chinese governments are toning down the incident, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi scheduled to meet Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to resolve the issue diplomatically.

The Philippines is committed through international and regional agreements to settle peacefully all territorial disputes in the South China sea, particularly disputes over the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough shoals. Besides, aside from China and the Philippines, there are other countries claiming these territories like Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam. My position is that we should bring this issue to the proper venue in the United Nations rather than resort to posturing, threats or the use of force.

THE DRUG TRADE

The government must strengthen its efforts to prevent illegal drug syndicates not only from operating in our country but also from using it as a base for smuggling drugs to other countries. It is lamentable, as well as embarrassing to our country, that Filipinos are considered among those most active in the international drug trade.

According to our embassy in China, 111 Filipinos, mostly women, were arrested in China, Hong Kong and Macau in 2008 for drug smuggling, a 594% increase compared to the 16 Filipinos arrested in those places in 2007. Of those arrested, 22 were sentenced to death and the other to long prison terms. Persons used by drug syndicates to smuggle drugs are disparagingly called mules.

The Department of Justice, particularly the immigration commission and the national bureau of investigation, should be vigilant in stopping the travel of Filipinos suspected of being agents of the drug syndicates. This is for their protection, as well as for the preservation of the reputation of our country. Filipinos are already unjustly suspected by foreign immigration officers of being prone to traveling for illegal purposes.

KIDNAPPING AS 'COTTAGE INDUSTRY'

The admission by a top aide of the President that kidnapping has become a "cottage industry" in the southern Philippines is a damning indictment of the failure of the government to curb criminality, particularly kidnapping, which is a heinous crime.

The high incidence in Mindanao, particularly the recent kidnapping of two staff of the International Red Cross in Jolo, is giving a black eye to the reputation of our government internationally. At the same time, it is endangering the giving of humanitarian and financial foreign aid to our country, which has a bigger impact on the poor.

The government and especially its law-enforcement agencies should intensify its efforts to go after the criminal elements, particularly kidnappers, and impose on them the full force of the law. There should not be any compromise with kidnappers.

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