‘West Philippine Sea a primary concern in 2022 elections’

MANILA, Philippines — Former foreign secretary Albert del Rosario urged Filipinos to consider the West Philippine Sea as a primary concern in the 2022 elections, saying President Duterte is “tyrannically forcing Filipinos to be silent against China’s encroachment of Philippine territory and maritime entitlements.”

Speaking at the Tapatan 1Sambayan virtual media forum on Thursday, Del Rosario said the West Philippine Sea is an important national and international issue that requires the attention and help of the entire nation.

The Philippines won overwhelmingly, and regained its national dignity as a respectable sovereign state in the community of nations, when the arbitral tribunal ruled on July 12, 2016 to invalidate China’s nine-dash line claim and affirmed the Philippines’ rights over its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Del Rosario said Duterte and his administration abandoned the ruling and later called it “a piece of paper to be thrown into the trash can.”

China also called the ruling as nothing more than a piece of waste paper.

“This is unacceptable. President Duterte was loving and embracing China over and above the interest of the country and its people,” Del Rosario said. “He whom the people has put in power to be the guardian of our interest, has willingly and unapologetically cast his lot on the very same country that is disrespecting our country and people.”

The former top diplomat explained that this is “contrary to the President’s oath and solemn mandate under the Constitution to protect what is ours.”

The most honorable thing for the President to do, he said, is to consider stepping down.

“Therefore, we all need to take action and cause the reversal of this situation,” Del Rosario said. “We can do this concretely by participating in next year’s election and selecting a leader who will provide good governance and political will.”

Del Rosario revealed last week that they received information – from a most reliable international entity on Feb. 22, 2019 – that ranking Chinese officials were bragging that they had been able to influence the 2016 Philippine elections for Duterte to be president.

While Del Rosario did not name the source of information about China’s interference in 2016, he said the Philippine embassy in Beijing can easily verify this.

Del Rosario, who led the Philippines’ winning arbitration case against China, said that on May 15, 2018, Duterte proudly declared in Casiguran Bay in Aurora that Chinese President Xi Jinping has sworn to protect him from moves that will result in his removal from office.

He said it was disturbing to hear the President say, in a press conference in Davao before going to China to attend the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia, “I just simply love Xi Jinping.”