House leaders rally behind ‘gentleman’s agreement’ on West Philippine Sea
House leaders rallied behind the proposed “gentleman’s agreement” between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday to ensure a stable and peaceful West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone, chairman of the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries, cited the Duterte government’s efforts in pursuing a peaceful strategy that would ensure peace and stability in the region after the ASEAN and China finalized a draft framework for negotiating a code of conduct (COC).
“Secretary (Alan Peter) Cayetano’s proposal is laud-
able to ensure peace, stability, and development in the region. The adoption of a Code of Conduct is very essential in ensuring freedom of navigation,” he said.
Cayetano said they would pursue a strategy that would guarantee the peaceful conduct of addressing the conflict following the absence of legally binding mechanism or the Code of Conduct.
House Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu said all claimant-countries should pursue a peaceful resolution, adding that war is not an option.
“Any proposal that would keep us from war and will make the situation stable is a welcome development. Let us take advantage of the friendly atmosphere right now and the good relationship of President Duterte with Chinese leaders,” he said.
Cayetano cited the need for ASEAN and China to come up with a mechanism that would help resolve issues should some parties refuse or fail to comply with the code.
China claims sovereignty over South China Sea’s 3.5 million square kilometers, part of which falls under Philippine territory. China has also overlapping claims with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei in the South China Sea.
China had declared that it would not accept a judicial arbitration and insisted that the territorial spat be settled bilaterally.
The Philippine government has argued that China’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea violated the country’s maritime rights under 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).