in News & Culture, Politics, World News

Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez thinks China’s vaccine donations is ‘payment’ for the West Philippine Sea

He also called on the House leadership, led by administration ally House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to take up and approve the bill which will strengthen our position on the West Philippine Sea.

0 Votes

House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez thinks the Duterte administration just accepted a trade: COVID-19 vaccines for the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea.

“The massing of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels in Julian Felipe Reef off Bataraza town in Palawan took place within eight days of the delivery of the initial 600,000 COVID-19 shots donated by China,” Rodriguez said in a press statement.

“The sequence of events makes many of us wonder if there is a connection between the vaccine donation and China’s latest incursion in the West Philippine Sea.”

Rodriguez likewise expressed doubt on what Beijing claims to be “rough sea conditions” that made their fishing boats decide to seek harbor in Julian Felipe Reef.

“If that were the case, they should have left the area, because it has been more than two weeks since they were discovered,” Rodriguez said.

He also called on the House leadership, led by administration ally House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to take up and approve the bill which will strengthen our position on the West Philippine Sea.

Rodriguez is likely referring to the pending House Bill (H.B.) No. 00363 or the West Philippine Sea Development Authority Act. It has been pending since July 23, 2019.

Other personalities have agreed with Rodriguez’s views, including retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who welcomes the possibility.

Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros has called out Beijing for not only “lying” about its military presence in the West Philippine Sea. She stressed that they also were “gaslighting” the Philippines by insisting that our worries are baseless.

Even Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin is questioning the lack of action from the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“If our rights depended only on our ability to fight back, then we would not have any rights anymore,” he said.

Locsin said that if the country does not send a message–Beijing will keep trenching in Philippine waters. It could eventually lose Filipinos their sense of nationhood.

The US State Department and the Japanese embassy seemed to engage Twitter war with the Chinese embassy in Manila.

“We call on Beijing to stop using its maritime militia to intimidate and provoke others, which undermines peace and security,” the US State Department said in a statement.

While the Japanese embassy strongly opposes any action that heightens tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

The Chinese embassy said they are committed to managing differences through bilateral consultations and safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

Beijing took a swipe at Japan and said Tokyo was acting as a strategic vassal of the US. It also accused and even called Japan a traitor to the whole of Asia.

Duterte promised to talk to the Chinese ambassador on its latest incursion of Beijing into the country’s exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, March 23.

Antonio CarpioBeijingChinese Embassy in ManilaChinese militiadisputeJapanese EmbassyRisa Hontiverosrodrigo duterteRufus RodriguezTeddy Boy LocsinTokyoUS State DepartmentWashingtonwest philippine sea

Written by Andronico Del Rosario

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte doubles the militaristic pandemic response, increases the budget for police, military

Is the government to be blamed for mayors, personalities getting COVID-19 vaccine ahead of HCWs?