smbet Hontiveros: Joint maritime activities are always welcome

MANILA, Philippines — “The Philippines is not alone in ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains free, opensmbet, and secure.”

These were the words used by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros when she commented on the Maritime Cooperative Activity of the Philippines, US, Australia, and Japan.

READ: US, Japan, Australia to join PH in patrolling West Philippine Sea

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In a statement, Hontiveros said joint maritime activities like the MCA are always welcome.

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“This demonstration of solidarity strengthens the international consensus that the Chinese government’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea are baseless and in direct violation of the Unclos,” she said.

“The exercise also does reinforce legislation like the Philippine Maritime Zones Act as this measure was crafted in alignment with international law, particularly Unclos and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling,” she added.

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Hontiveros then noted that the Maritime Zones Act also clearly established that the maritime features and territories that the Philippines claim on the western side of archipelago are “collectively known as the West Philippine Sea, which the Philippine government has jurisdiction over, not Beijing or any other regional power.”

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Similar to what was disclosed by Hontiveros, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino—who also chairs the Senate’s special committee on maritime and admiralty zones—said the reason why he decided to join President Bongbong Marcos’ slate is because he and the group share a united stand that the approach to the West Philippine Sea issue should be multilateral.

“This is not just between the Philippines and China,” said Tolentino.

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“What the (Marcos) administration is doing is right. Last week’s joint exercises with the US, Japan, and Australia is right,” he added.

At present, pending legislative efforts aimed at addressing West Philippine Sea-related issues include the Blue Economy Act and the proposed measure seeking to to create the Center for West Philippine Studies.

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