Press Release
September 15, 2019

Dispatch from Crame No. 600:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on Duterte's willingness to set aside our legal victory at The Hague in favor of China's exploration deal at the West Philippine Sea

9/15/19

Duterte will not only leave a generation of orphans as his legacy but also a generation of beggars surviving on crumbs from China's banquet- a banquet from our own territory.

The gall of the President to even think of setting aside our legal victory at The Hague to give way to an exploration deal with a country who, from the start, has never shown regard for our sovereign right as a nation. Inilagay tayo ni Duterte sa alanganin sa pagpayag sa isang bansang umaangkin din sa ating teritoryo na tuklasin ang yaman ng ating karagatan.

Malinaw naman na sa relasyong Pilipinas at Tsina, lugi pa rin tayo, anuman ang hatian, kasi hindi naman tayo dapat nakikihati lang dahil atin ang West Philippine Sea. Any economic activity in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) should be in accordance with our Constitution and should uphold our sovereign right. Tayo dapat ang nagtatakda. Kung hindi, baka kahit tira-tira wala na tayong mapapakinabangan.

Kung tutuusin ay tatlong taon na tayong luging-lugi simula nung isinantabi ng administrasyong ito ang ating tagumpay, kapalit ng mga pautang para sa mga proyektong patuloy na naghuhulog sa atin sa tinatawag na "Chinese debt trap." The moment the Duterte administration enters into a joint venture agreement with China, our rights over our own territory are diminished. Kaya kung ngayon ay 60-40, baka bukas makalawa ay baka 100 porsiyento na ng ating pag-aari ay nakuha na ng China.

With all his promise to pursue an independent foreign policy at the beginning of his term, even declared with much bravado against US intervention, bahag ang buntot niya pagdating sa China. And yes, his independent foreign policy turned out to be not so independent after all. In fact, he would only invoke our sovereignty in the face of international indignation against his regime's abuses. We clearly know where Duterte's allegiance lies. He will never be pro-Filipino, kahit sa usapin ng karapatang pantao sa ating bansa.

Tayo pa rin ang magpasiya. Wala dapat kompromiso pagdating sa ating karapatan bilang mamamayang Pilipino at bilang isang bansang malaya. ###

(Access the handwritten version of Dispatch from Crame No. 600, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_600)

News Latest News Feed