Filipinos deserve a gov't committed to defend sovereignty and reclaim national dignity - De Lima

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima maintained that the Filipino people deserve a government that is committed to securing national patrimony, and defending national territory and security from those who would bully them economically or militarily.

De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said the present and future administrations should work on ensuring that the Philippines' rights as a sovereign nation is reflected in the country's treaties and policies.

"Ang ating Inang Bayan ay matagal nang napapabayaan, habang ang mga dapat na naglilingkod at nagtatanggol sa kanya ay nagmamanik-luhod sa mga dayuhan.

"Labas-pasok ang mga ilegal na manggagawa pati na ang mga ilegal na gawain, at ang panghihimasok sa ating internal na pamamahala ng mga dayuhan, habang pikit-matang itinatanggi ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno ang pang-aabuso at pananakot sa ating mga kababayan, at ang pagyurak at pananamantala sa mga likas na yaman na pag-aari ng mga Pilipino," she said.

"We should only work on the exploration of its wealth with countries which respect our exclusive economic rights over it. We should likewise blacklist corporations which participate in activities that violate our rights over our territory," she added.

"National security" is part of the five-point legislative agenda of De Lima, who is seeking a Senate reelection in this year's national elections under the senatorial slate of Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan tandem.

In maintaining international relations, De Lima clarified that the Philippines' sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) remains non-negotiable, hence, should be asserted at all costs.

"Walang masamang makipagkaibigan at madiplomasyang makipag-talastasan, pero malaking pagtataksil ang isuko ang ipinaglabang kasarinlan. Ang isang pamahalaan na duwag sa harap ng mga dayuhang manlulupig ay wala nang karapatang manatili sa pwesto," she said.

"We must rekindle our alliance with countries that support the rule of law and enact laws that support economic and military cooperation with them to protect the peace and stability in our region," she added.

In a landmark ruling on July 12, 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) found no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to a "nine-dash line" in WPS but China refused to honor the ruling.

It may be recalled that many countries opposing the "nine-dash line" claim awaited the outcome of the Arbitral proceedings, including Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. So did other countries that have an interest in keeping the South China Sea safe for international passage, namely, the United States, France and Australia (all of which have been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the region since 2015), and other Pacific countries, such as Australia and Japan.

Just in September 2020, European countries like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom issued a joint note verbale recognizing the PCA ruling and challenging China's claims.

Duterte, for his part, persistently refused to assert the country's territorial integrity and sovereign rights over the WPS.

"Ang kasiguruhan ng isang pamilya ay nagsisimula sa kasiguraduhan ng kanilang tahanan. Ganun din ang kasiguruhan ng isang Bayan," De Lima said.

"Hindi masamang magtiwala, pero dapat ang tiwala ay sinusuklian ng katapatan sa paglilingkod sa bayan. Katapatan na, tulad ng tibay ng mga Pilipino, ay nahasa at nasubok na ng tadhana, at hinding hindi nagpatinag. Katapatan na hindi ipagkakanulo, ipakulong man o yurakan," she added.