PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON WEST PHILIPPINE SEA
August 23, 2023

Mr. President, I rise today on a point of personal and collective privilege.

Yesterday, August 22, the Rotation and Resupply Mission or RORE en route to BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal was successfully conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, despite China Coast Guard and China maritime militia's attempts to interdict our vessels. Isang mainit na pagpupugay po sa ating magigiting na tropa. Mabuhay po kayo.

Mr. President, dear colleagues, I long for the day that the successful conduct of our resupply missions is the norm, not the exception. I long for the day when we can freely navigate our waters without trepidation. Sa ngayon, alam natin na hindi ito ang realidad. Kahit matagumpay ang misyon kahapon, nangharass at nangharang parin ang mga barko ng Tsina. China has deprived us of many things, including our right to freedom of navigation.

Kaya po gusto kong balikan ang mga naganap noong August 5 sa gitna ng laot ng West Philippine Sea. Sa aking pananaw, may dalawang bagay ang nangangailangan ng kaunti pang pagpapaliwanag.

Una, buong tapang mang hinarap ng ating mga Philippine Coast Guard ang water cannonning ng China, ipinapakita rin nito ang agwat ng pwersa ng ating bansa, pati na rin sa kakayahan ng ating mga Bantay Dagat. Bilang mga tagapangasiwa ng national budget, naniniwala akong dapat ilakip natin ang mga panghaharass ng China noong August 5, kung nais natin ng isang halimbawa kung bakit dapat panatilihing ligtas at buo ng ating maritime zones.

At ikalawa, kasama ko ang napakaraming mga Pilipino na napukaw pa at lalong nahikayat na magsalita dumepensa, at tumindig laban sa Tsina. Ngunit, patuloy ang pagkakalat ng kasinungalingan at pambabastos online ng China at ng kanilang mga "fake news peddlers". Ang nakakadismaya, kasama sa puspusang nambabaliktad sa ating Coast Guard, sa ating AFP, maging sa ating mga mga mangingisda� ay ilan sa ating mga kapwa Pilipino pa. Sukdulang pagtawanan at bastusin sa social media nila ang ating mga magigiting na Coast Guard at mangingisda.

Mr. President, dear colleagues, on top of accompanying resupply missions and patrolling our waters, our Philippine Coast Guard has now taken on the responsibility to regularly documenting and exposing China's cruelty at sea. Tapos, ganun-ganun na lang sila maliitin ng Chinese Coast Guard? Ganun-ganun na lang sila pagpyestahan sa social media ng mga pro-Beijing propagandists? Hindi po yan katanggap-tanggap.

Tama nga yata ang sabi nila. Masyadong maraming nakakampante dito sa ating duyan ng mga magiting.

So, today, we will show some videos and images from the Philippine Coast Guard, screened and approved by the Information Working Group of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, to help more Filipinos get our facts straight, especially at a time when China routinely spreads lies and propaganda through what seems to be a concerted disinformation campaign online.

2021 naganap ang isa pang pagkakataong nahuli ang China sa video na wina-water cannon ang ating mga barko. November 2021, the National Security Council had already shared a video of Chinese ships blocking and using water cannon on Philippine vessels. Madilim na sa video sa mga oras na kinuha ito noon.

Sakto halos na isang taon ang nakakaraan, noong August 2022, a Chinese Coast Guard crew member removed the cover of its 70-mm naval gun... and aimed it at a Philippine Coast Guard ship that was on its way to Ayungin Shoal. This is considered a threatening move.

February naman this year, China shined a military-grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship, temporarily blinding our crew on board. Kung tao itong mga barko, tila tinutukan ng baril ng isang Tsino ang isang Pilipino.

At nito na ngang August 5, ang pinakahuling insidente sa Ayungin, ang pinakahuling insidente ng panlalamang at panlalait sa ating mga Bantay Dagat, para lang maharang ang simpleng routine supply mission ng mga maliliit na bangka tungo sa BRP Sierra Madre.

Mga kababayan, hindi po ito simpleng parang hinarang tayo sa daan, at pagkatapos ay umurong ang mga Pilipinong bangka. Parang ito kasi ang lumalabas sa usap-usapan, para bang simpleng nagkasalubong at nagka-urungan.

HINDI PO.

Sa totoo lang po, dear colleagues at sa ating mga kababayang nanonood po ngayon, INALMUSAL PO NG MGA COAST GUARD ang pambabastos ng China. Alas-sais y medya pa lang ng umaga, nanghaharass na po ang Tsina.

Bandang alas-otso, tatlo na ang barko na umaaligid sa PCG at sa supply boat. At Mr. President, dear colleagues, again hindi ito bastang sinusundan lang. Ang nangyayari po dito ay kina-cut ng China ang PCG escort ng supply boat natin.

Ginagawa po nilang EXPRESS WAY ang karagatan. Hinabol nila nang hinabol at kalaunan na-cut na ang maliit na supply vessel, at ito na ang sinasabi nating dangerous maneuver.

Alam naman nating kapag ang mga barko ay tumigil, hindi yan bastang titigil na parang jeep sa kanto, pag sumigaw ka ng "para". Dito, bandang alas nuebe, makikita nyo ang gitgitan, kung gaano kalapit sa aksidente ang ating mga Bantay Dagat dahil sa tuluy-tuloy na habulan.

At dear colleagues, hindi tumigil ang habulan na yan hanggang tanghali. Ito na ring pangunguyog ng China ang tinanghalian ng ating mga Coast Guard. At inabot po sila ng alas-kwatro ng hapon kaka-iwas sa kapahamakan.

Dear colleagues, nakita nyo naman, inabot ng MAGHAPON ang habulan at panliligalig na ito ng Beijing sa isang SIMPLENG SUPPLY MISSION.

At syempre, hindi nakuntento ang China sa pambobomba at pang-aabala sa atin sa karagatan. Dinala nila yang pangku-kuyog na yan sa social media.

Pagkatapos mailabas sa publiko ang walang awang pagbomba ng tubig ng Tsina sa ating napakaliit na barko, agad ding nagpakita ang Tsina ng sarili niyang video kung saan pinalalabas niya na hindi naman natamaan ang ating barko. After our Philippine Coast Guard revealed China's attack, the Chinese Coast Guard immediately countered us, stating that they exercised "rational restraint throughout the process."

As if on cue, China's national language English newspaper, Global Times, then reported that the "Chinese Coast Guard behavior was based on law" and that the Philippine vessels "illegally sailed into waters." Another China state-owned network, CTGN, also reported that China Coast Guard "expelled Philippine vessels in territorial waters'' and that Philippine Navy vessels "challenged China's sovereignty." Binabaluktot nila ang katotohanan. Pinamumukha nila na tayo pa ang masama.

Worse, these false narratives are echoed by some of our fellow Filipinos. This urged the PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela to tweet a strongly worded statement about how Filipinos who defend or make excuses for China's aggressive behavior should be considered unpatriotic traitors. I couldn't agree more with Commodore Tarriela. Traydor ang sinumang kumakampi sa Tsina sa panahong binabastos at inaalipusta niya ang soberanya at dignidad ng Pilipinas.

Mr. President, these public information efforts of the PCG have been an essential element in asserting our lawful claims in the West Philippine Sea, but as soon as the PCG exposes China's unlawful activities to the world, as soon as its officials speak boldly about China's harassment in the West Philippine Sea, there would be a deluge of mis- and disinformation circling around social media, directly targeting the Philippine Coast Guard and undermining efforts by the Philippines to assert our sovereignty over our maritime zones. As if orchestrated and copying from the same script, pro-Beijing propagandists would relentlessly attack the PCG and its personnel. Kesyo CIA agent daw sila o di kaya'y mouthpiece ng Amerika.

Dear colleagues, the PCG is our first line of defense for our nation's maritime territory, including strategic vital areas such as the West Philippine Sea, Benham Rise, the Sulo Sea, and the Luzon Strait, as well as the rest of the country's Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. We cannot allow China-backed fake news to diminish and damage the work that our Coast Guard has been doing.

Our Coast Guard, pursuant to RA No. 9993, has had the mandate to enforce Philippine law in accordance with all relevant maritime international conventions, treaties or instruments, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, within the maritime jurisdiction of the Philippines. Our Coast Guard is responsible for overall maritime governance, as it is in charge of maritime safety, maritime environmental protection, and maritime security.

Despite this colossal obligation, despite being tasked to maintain maritime domain awareness across the width and breadth of the country's maritime zones, since 2009, the PCG has been receiving only a measly 10 million pesos for its intelligence fund, forcing it to rely solely on human intelligence ("HUMINT"). However, in order to sustain the PCG's presence in the West Philippine Sea, we need more signals intelligence ("SIGINT") technologies that could help them efficiently and effectively exercise their mandate.

I also must stress that these 10 million pesos are not only for the PCG's duties over the West Philippine Sea, but for the entire coastal areas and waters of the Philippines. Sa napakaraming banta na nararanasan ng coast guard, hindi ba dapat na mas malaki naman sa sampung milyon ang maibigay sa kanila?

Mr. President, considering the current vulnerabilities of our Coast Guard, I also filed Proposed Senate Resolution 744 to call for an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into further capacitating and empowering the Philippine Coast Guard to enable it to carry out its primary mission of enforcing Philippine law and upholding national sovereignty within the country's maritime zones, particularly the West Philippine Sea.

Similar to how this August Chamber unanimously supported Senate Resolution 718 condemning Chinese harassment, transcending politics and partisanship, I hope that the entire Senate can also stand firmly behind our Philippine Coast Guard. At the budget process, I encourage all of us to support the increase of the PCG's intel funds. This is where confidential and intelligence funds should be allocated. This is where our money should go. The PCG actually is facing a clear and present danger. Ang organisasyon tulad ng PCG ang dapat binibigyan ng mga confidential at intelligence funds, hindi yung mga ahensiyang sibilyan na wala namang kinakaharap na pagbabanta at panganib.

If we could further strengthen the men and women of our coast guard, arm them with advanced technological infrastructure and equipment, we can more effectively hold China accountable for her hostile, aggressive, and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea. We can better fight China's lies, propaganda, and manipulation. We can make a stronger case against China's threats and intimidation before various international fora, potentially increasing our allies in the region and across the world.

Dear colleagues, Mr. President, the Chinese government has continuously militarized portions of the West Philippine Sea by building and fortifying artificial islands in the region, equipping them with military installations such as runways, radar systems, and naval facilities, allowing its vessels to operate within our EEZ on a near-constant basis. This has led to an unprecedented challenge to the Philippine Coast Guard's primary mission of enforcing Philippine law, maintaining the country's sovereignty, and upholding vital national interests in the West Philippine Sea.

Now, it has become clear that China has her eye on Ayungin shoal. The water cannons, the military laser, the removal of a naval gun cover - all these severe provocations were against Philippine vessels making their way to Ayungin.

China is actively blocking these missions because she does not want any further reinforcement to our most defiant sovereign marker in the West Philippine Sea, the BRP Sierra Madre. Let us not forget, most of the officers there, dina-dialysis ngayon, o kaya may sakit sa bato dahil hindi na nga makakain nang maayos, wala pang desalinator, tapos, haharangin pa ng China ang supply.

After the events of August 5, I believe we can shore up even more support for our Philippine Coast Guard, whether on the ground or on social media, so we can seriously defend the Sierra Madre, Ayungin, and the rest of our territories.

Handa man ang Tsina na gawin ang lahat para manggulo sa West Philippine Sea... at subukan man nila ang lahat ng pangungutya at pang-aapi sa social media...

Lalo lang nila tayong pinagkakaisa bilang mga tunay na Pilipino. Haharapin natin sila nang makatao at diplomatiko, at ipapakita natin sa mundo, muli at muli pa, na malulutas natin ang sigalot na ito sa paraang mapayapa at makatarungan.

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Please see attached powerpoint presentation used during the privilege speech

PPT PRIV SPEECH PRESENTATION.pptx