Photo Release

On the presence of Chinese militia vessels on Julian Felipe Reef: Sen. Risa Hontiveros asks Generoso Calonge, whose nomination as Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Iraq is being deliberated on by the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Commission on Appointments, his position on the presence of 220 Chinese maritime militia vessels on Julian Felipe Reef. Having served as a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and assistant secretary in the Office of Maritime and Ocean Affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Calonge said if verified, he views this as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and appropriate measures should be done in order to address this violation. He also proposed to develop the AFP so that the country would not be taken very lightly by those near the borders. “I commit as one of the legislators here this morning, to continue to support our diplomatic efforts, aside of course from the modernization of the Armed Forces but to continue to support our diplomatic engagements because indeed, although war is diplomacy by other means, on the other hand, diplomacy is also war by other means…,” Hontiveros said Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (Screen grab/ Senate PRIB)