Lacson: Senate caucus before talks with China
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City—Senators will meet on Monday for a caucus that aims to set parameters for potential talks with China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday.
“It’s a breath of fresh air that it was the Chinese ambassador who said, ‘Let’s talk.’ So, that’s a good opening,” Lacson told reporters after the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming in this city.
“That’s why on Monday we’re having an all senators’ caucus. [It’s] not necessarily to argue about the Kalayaan Island Group or the West Philippine Sea but at least for us to establish parameters on how to communicate so we wouldn’t hurt each other,” he added.
Lacson said the caucus was a joint initiative with Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate foreign affairs committee.
Tulfo earlier confirmed that Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan will dialogue with the chamber following heated exchanges between senators and Chinese Embassy officials on the West Philippine Sea issue.
Later this month, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will meet in Singapore for the next round of negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct (COC), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday. COC talks have been ongoing since 2002.
Escalating word war
Lacson said the caucus will include Sen. Rodante Marcoleta “should he want to.”
Marcoleta drew public scorn earlier this month for his statements that the Kalayaan Group of Islands off Palawan could be outside the country’s exclusive economic zone, and that to “give it up’’ might make the Philippine position less complicated.
There have been calls for a dialogue to defuse tensions after the word war escalated between some senators, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Chinese officials. Ambassador Jing, in particular, has gone on the offensive in his remarks against several local officials since his appointment in December last year.
Last month, 15 senators crossed party lines to sign a resolution condemning Chinese officials’ recent public statements.
In Senate Resolution No. 256, the lawmakers stressed that the language used by the Chinese Embassy directed at incumbent members of Congress, departs from “the restraint, courtesy, and responsibility expected of diplomatic communications,” and runs counter to “the principles of mutual respect and noninterference” among states.
The Senate adopted the measure on Feb. 9, prompting Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng to issue a statement calling the measure “an anti-China resolution.”
‘Smearing Chinese leaders’
“Some senators are still urging the recall of the aggressive and sensitive Chinese ambassador. Who do they think they are? Do they even have the capability?” Ji said.
“Any serious damage to diplomatic relations, including downgrading of those relations, would cost millions of jobs,” he warned.
The word war with China has not been limited to the Senate.
The Chinese Embassy has also filed a diplomatic protest against Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the WPS, over his alleged smears on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “dignity.”
The move came days after Tarriela posted a photo of himself talking in a forum and behind him a video screen showing caricatured images of Xi.
The PCG official stood pat on his statements calling out China’s acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea, saying there was no need for him to apologize to the embassy.
“My role as spokesperson for the WPS is to transparently communicate these realities to the Filipino people and the world, in full alignment with our government’s commitment to rules-based order and international law,” Tarriela said.
“If the Chinese Embassy objects to images or expressions that highlight these violations—often through legitimate public discourse or even satire—it only underscores discomfort with the truth being exposed,” he added.
Kalayaan visit
Lacson on Saturday said had visited Kalayaan, a one-barangay municipality of 406 people in the West Philippine Sea that contends with the constant presence of Chinese vessels in its surrounding waters.
“I noticed some deficiencies with their infrastructure and their education system (because of the existence of) an elementary school but there is no high school, “ he recalled. Lacson did not say when he took the trip.
He recalled that his visit was challenged by the China Coast Guard (CCG) who warned him: “You are entering our territory. Proceed at your own risk.”
Lacson said he wanted to return and visit a Marine contingent stationed in Kalayaan because its commander had confirmed that Chinese boats constantly try to go further into Philippine territorial waters, backing off only because of warnings from the Philippine military unit there.
The CCG incursions, he said, are intended to normalize Chinese presence in Philippine waters. —WITH A REPORT FROM CHARIE ABARCA
